The Guardian's Guild: Secret of the Stars
by J.M.Spellbound
Summary: Sequel. War has a way of bringing all truths to light. It never allows secrets to stay secret for long. Not even the one Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and the rest of the Autobots guard. Darkness is closing in on little Bumblebee, no matter how hard his adopted family tries to stop it, and the truth is about to come out. A truth, they might not be able to protect him from.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

**However, the plot and any OCs are mine.**

**Alright, chapter 1 of the sequel to _Right Where You Belong!_**

**As promised here it is. **

**There is a bit of a time jump between this chapter and the last chapter of the first story. Just to let you know.**

**Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!**

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Chapter 1

There were two things that little Bumblebee was absolutely certain of at the moment. One, when Hide found out what the twins had done now he was going to blow a gasket. And two, this was the most fun he'd had in the history of ever! End of discussion.

Laughing loudly, Bee clung tightly to Sideswipes neck as he and Sunstreaker raced though the towering black pillars that lined the ancient city. Playfully blasting at each other, the rocks, the sky, anything that seemed to amuse the youngling as they went on exploring the ruins of the once great empire. They knew what it had been, but to Bee it was just a foreign wonderland that made his baby blue optics widen and glitter with glee.

It was the mischievous adventure the youngling had been craving since he could walk on his own and Sunny and Sides had decided that they would give it to him. No matter how many dents they were going to get out of it in the end.

Because after all it _was_ Bumblebee's spark-orn.

The orn he turned nine vorns old about the equivalent of a human six year old. A true milestone, and the twins were dead set that his ninth vorn would be a million times better than theirs had been. Which lead them to sneak into Hide's chambers in the wee breems of morning, snatch the slumbering youngling from his berth, and leave _Artemis 1 _in their wake. At least for a little while.

They tiny yellow mech hardly big enough to circle his arms around Side's neck was positively glowing with glee when Sides came to a sliding halt on the edge of a rocky outcrop over looking what once had been a towering capital building. Now it was nothing more than a pile of silver steel and bent metal. To the twins it was a sad reminder of what they had watched fall, but it was worth the memoires that returned each time Bee's laughter filled their audio receptors.

Out here, away from the sight of the Autobot crew, neither had to pretend that over the past vorns they both hadn't fallen completely head over heels for the giggling Half Pint. Out here they could equally show how much they adored him.

Even Sunstreaker, who refused to hold him in public for fear of what it could do to his precious reputation, was showing his affection on their little field trip. Both brothers were well aware that every mech on board the battleship knew how much they cared about Bumblebee. It was an equally felt emotion throughout the ship, but some bots feared their emotions more than others. The two that had locked their sparks away long ago to all but each other were some of the worse. Bee was the first thing either of them had ever run across that changed all that.

That brilliant, bubbly, warm little spark that took in all he cared about was not something that was easily fought off.

Sunstreaker would know, had tired.

It was the first thing in the history of his life he was glad he'd failed at.

"What's that?" Bee questioned excitedly as he pointed into the ruble. Both brothers tensed a little before realizing it was merely a pack of cyber-coyotes scavenging the ruble and not a Decepticon scout, or worse, Ironhide.

"Those are cyber-coyotes, Half Pint." Sides informed him as he held onto the youngling's wiggling feet while Bee clung to the back of the warrior's neck.

"Oh," Bee said in awe at the metallic canine like creatures, each of which would tower over him even if they hardly reached a full grown bots knee plates. "Prowl told me 'bout those."

"Did he?" Sunstreaker shared an amused glance with his twin. If Prowl had it was just with a data chip that Bee had snatched without permission. The stealthily silent second in command bot didn't like the youngling finding out things that would make him want to leave the ship to see the big outside universe anymore than he already did. Yet that really hadn't worked out all that well for him judging by the fact that no bot on board accounted for Sides and Sunny deciding that taking a field trip would be good for the little mech.

Bee nodded quickly. "Said they were mean."

"Well they are. They'd eat you given the chance." Sunny confirmed. Bee tensed in fear, his little spark shivering a little which both mechs who had learned to feel him were aware of. Sides wanted to kick his brother all the way to the Pit for saying something so stupid, but at the same time was well aware that Sunny was already mentally kicking himself at this very moment. The golden warrior hated it when he accidently scared the youngling. He never meant too.

"But we won't let that happen." Sideswipe reassured Bee before heading off toward a different part of the fallen city he wanted to show him. "After all you're with us remember, Half Pint?"

"Uh-huh." Bee laughed repeating the thing he'd been told every time he ended up with the twins for as long as he could remember. "And Sunny and Sides are the best warriors in the entire universe."

"That's right." Sides agreed. "And don't you forget it."

After that the trio fell into an easy silence allowing the twins to readjust to their memories as Bee stared in wonder at all the things he'd only seen on screens and in stories.

He was finally outside, and a quite fascinating outside at that.

When he'd rolled over this morning in his berth buried in two-tone blankets that kept the little youngling in a fortress of fluff too find Sides' and Sunny's mischief filled optics blinking back at him he wasn't sure what was going on, but he hadn't complained while the brothers snuck him from his quarters leaving his massive guardian snoring as they crept out of the ship with stealth that would make Jazz and Prowl proud.

The moment the battleship touched down on the outskirts of what was left of Nova Cronum the twins knew what they had to do. There were ghosts here they needed to bury, and if they could do it while letting Bee tag along than everybot won.

Well that is until Ironhide woke up and found his charge gone.

They were both well aware of what was going to happen then. Though they were willing to accept the punishment that would follow their actions. The absolute glee in those baby blue optics was enough for them to know they were doing the right thing. It wasn't right, nor was it fair, that the mechs that loved their Bee so much had to keep him prisoner just to keep him alive.

Damn that pit slaggin' Shockwave.

The twins blamed him for all of this. Him and that idiotic Skywarp that tried to snatch their Bee. The fear of Megatron and what he was capable of doing to Bumblebee didn't get better with ever vorn that nothing happened, it only got worse. Because there was no way that the murderer didn't know about Bee, was there?

"Look! Look!" Bee practically bounced on Sides neck as he pointed at a shimmering statue that had crumbled in the carnage that destroyed this place, but was still whole enough to tell what it was. At least to the two that had seen it all those vorns ago. "What's that?"

The question had pretty much been none stop since they got outside, but it wasn't like the twins minded. After all the purpose of this field trip was for Bumblebee to have some fun, maybe learn something. At least Sides was thinking they could use that in their argument later about why they'd done this.

"Can't you tell, Half Pint?" Sides reached up, swinging Bee from around his neck and bringing the youngling that still fit in his hand to rest in the crock of his arm. It still amazed Sunstreaker and Sideswipe that the youngling could be so small. He hadn't grown but maybe a few inches in the last vorns. Not that either twin knew much about younglings or how they were supposed to grow, but they also weren't stupid. They'd heard enough, seen enough, of Bee's checkups with Ratchet to know that he was smaller than he should be. Yet if everyone was being honest there wasn't much about Bee that was as it should be.

That brilliant little talent of feeling, connecting, expressing, and everything else he was able to do with that magic spark of his was proof enough of that. How in the universe Bee possessed an ability so similar to the powerful Gift of the mighty Optimus Prime not even the Autobot commander was sure of.

There was a lot about Bee that was still a mystery, running all the way back to the fact that he survived the massacre at Altihex.

"No," Bee shook his tiny yellow head the short perky antennas atop it flicking with curiosity.

"Good 'cuz I don't think they look alike either." Sunny smirked as he stared down at the massive metal statue.

"Who?"

"Optimus and him."

Bee narrowed his optics in confusion as he stared down at the face of the statue of a very large, very powerful looking mech that lay before him. Titling his little head back and forth a few times he found no similarities between his beloved Optimus and that stern, mean, looking statue.

"Nope." He decided shaking his head firmly.

"See it's not just us!" Sunny shouted to the sky waving his arms above his head before his chuckling brother made him regain his composure.

"Try convincing all of Cybertron of that." Sideswipe pointed out. "After all it is his Sire. Most say they looked alike."

"Mega-idiot and him don't look alike. Same goes for said nasty and Prime." Sunstreaker rolled his optics.

"That's a whole other overly complicated and messy story." Sides shock his head.

"True that." Sunny nodded.

"Wait, who?" Bee looked between the towering twins very confused.

"Nothin', Half Pint." Sides quickly assured him running a caring digit over Bee's tiny head. The little yellow mech practically purred, the familiar action bringing him back to fond memories form when he was younger. Even though in technical terms he had only been classified as a youngling for about a breem now as the sun rose a little higher over the horizon. Despite that Bee was fully ready to embrace the term that meant he could claim with a pout that he was older and should be allowed to do more. In his young innocent processor that was one of the adding joys of this little adventure. It made him feel more grown up, more able to help his loving family. It made him think that maybe the underlying tension he could feel every now and again in the sparks of his caretakers would lessen. He still didn't fully understand what these powerful bots feared was going to happen. After all he was in the safety of their care. He was aboard the most powerful battleship in all of the universe, he was the charge of the strongest mech in the universe, and he was the beloved little Bumblebee of the greatest Prime in the history of all Primes. What bad thing could possibly happen to Bee while he was under their watchful gazes?

He didn't see what they had to worry about.

"But who is that?" Bee asked pointing at the face of the statue he didn't really like.

"That is the Prime that came before, Optimus." Sides told him.

"Really?" The youngling asked in awe. Optimus had told him stories about the bot that was his mentor, his leader, his Sire, but the youngling had never seen a resemblance to tie to the stories. Actually seeing what his beloved Optimus talked about was fascinating to the bright little bot. Mainly because the face behind the stories was not one Bee particularly liked.

He much preferred his Prime to that one.

"His designation was Sentinel Prime." Sunstreaker said.

"Designation?"

"Name." Sides clarified.

"Sentinel Prime?" Bee sounded out the name slowly falling back to the habit he'd had forever. In what seemed like a life time ago to the little mech his mother had told him that you could judge a lot about a bot by their name. It was something he'd always kept in his spark. It was how he decided to trust his present family. When he had found himself orphaned, confused, and alone the simple thing he wanted from the bots that had saved him were their names, and from that knowledge the rest of his life had began. He treasured the thing his mother had told him, and as he sat there in Sides' arms thinking over the name of Optimus's sire he was trapped in a unpleasant place.

He didn't really like the name.

At first he could think of nothing wrong with it. It didn't sound mean or threatening. For all reality it wasn't much different than Optimus's, and yet Bee wanted nothing to do with it. Some locked away, still not understood part of his spark, told him not to trust it.

So he didn't.

His notions never led him wrong before. The only problem with that was how was he supposed to tell Optimus he didn't like the bot he'd heard all these stories about?

Bee thought it over quietly for a long time as the twins explored with him for a while longer before they sat down beneath a half fallen wall allowing Bee to play between them as they stared out at the past. Neither really wanted to speak much about what had brought them here so both were completely fine with allowing him to distract them. That was probably what led Sunstreaker to pull Bee up into his lap and play patty-cake with him when Bee turned to look up at him pleadingly.

Now Bumblebee giggled joyfully while he clapped his tiny hands against the palms of the warrior who's were bigger than him. Sunny grinned down at the little mech in return while his bright optics glittered happily as the familiar motions were repeated over and over.

Sunny never played with him like this when other bots were around, but it wasn't something that bothered Bee. He understood why the proud bot did it, and he didn't need Sunny's undying attention at all times. He could feel the love that burned in the bright warrior whenever he was near. That was enough for Bee.

Another round of hand motions ended when Sunny latched onto Bee tickling him lightly along his tender sides sending him into another fit of laughter as the gold mech leaned back against the wall pulling the little youngling up onto his chest allowing him to sit there crossed legged. Bee smiled at him before beginning to busy himself with the several scars that marred Sunstreaker's chest plates.

Bee knew of all the bots on his battleship home Sunny was the most concerned with his appearance, constantly buying new paint, constantly polishing, constantly saying how good he looked. So it confused his clever processor as to why Sunny didn't try to get the three deep lash like gashes that ran around his spark fixed. He knew there were some things that not even Ratchet could fix and sometimes that including scars that damaged a bot to the point that no amount of paint, welding, or medical knowledge was going to fix them. His mighty guardian had a few, even Optimus bore some. They were simply a part of the life Bee knew they lived. He might not yet understand all of this 'war' business, but he'd learned more, faster, than any mech thought he could.

Yet he didn't understand the scars that both twins did nothing to try and cover up.

As his curious little fingers ran over the deep gashes that sliced a few inches into the metal plating that covered the warrior's powerful spark he almost didn't notice how Sunny tensed at the action. However, there was hardly any emotions that passed though sparks he treasured that he missed.

Thinking he'd done something wrong Bee pulled back casting worried optics up to his caretaker.

"Sorry," He whispered.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Half Pint." Sunny assured him quickly poking the little mech in the side to distract him from the souvenirs the warrior had earned a life time ago. The distraction got him a reassured smile as Bee bated him away.

"It's just a long story that replays in this place." Sides explained from where he rested next to the pair watching the little mech explore his brother's scars. Scars so scarily similar to those that marked his own chest one might think they were put there on purpose.

It was sickening how true that assumption was, though none but the twins knew that truth.

Others had guessed.

Only a few were brave enough to question.

Bee tilted his head at the saddening air that danced from both twins. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Bee." Sunstreaker answered. Reaching to his side the golden warrior snatched up the first thing he found around the ruble offering it up to try and distract the youngling once more. He was sure he would come up with a broken shard of metal or rock, but what his fingers closed around wasn't really what he figured it would be. It just so happened it was the remains of a game piece that had been broken and forgotten in the vorns that it was left rusting in the dust since the city fell.

Bee had no idea what it was, but the strangely shaped little metal piece that took both his hands to hold fascinated him. He thought at one time it must have resembled a ship of some kind with wings that were now broken and paint that had long since faded away leaving nothing other than rusting metal in its wake, but Bee liked it all the same. He twisted the new toy around in his hands making soft engine noises as he pretended to fly it around in front of him completely forgetting what he'd been wondering previously.

With Bumblebee now safely back in the mindset younglings should be allowed to stay in, the twins relaxed again staring out together at the sun that had climbed fully over the horizon. It wouldn't be long now before their field trip would be brought to an end. Some mech aboard that vessel was going to figure out that their most precious member was missing, and once they realized that the twins were gone as well it wouldn't take long to figure out where Bee was.

Neither was that worried though.

They'd given Bee what they felt they needed to for his spark-orn. Even if it was just a few short breems of fresh air and a little broken Strategy War piece.

Breaking though the little puttering noises leaving Bee, Sides leaned over to offer him a wicked grin. "Well Half Pint, enjoying your ninth spark-orn?"

Bee glanced up nodding quickly with a goofy little smile. "Outside is _awesome_!"

"Yeah, well rules still apply." Sunstreaker quickly brought the enthusiastic youngling back down to the planet. "You never, _ever_, try to run off the ship alone. _Ever._"

Bumblebee raised a tiny optics ridge before glancing down at his short stubby little legs. He couldn't run anywhere to save his life. At least not anywhere far. He'd mastered walking half a vorn ago, and running was something that though Ironhide scolded him and plucked him from the ground each time he did it he loved, but couldn't really go too far without tripping over his own feet and landing painful on his faceplate.

However, he decided he would pacify his liberators no matter what he thought he was capable of. "Yes, Sunny."

"This isn't a game, Bumblebee." Sideswipe added. "We're serious. Never try to get off the ship. There are reasons you're not allowed off."

"But you brought off?" Bee questioned in confusion. He didn't really understand what was so bad about being off the ship. Nothing had happened so far. Now sure there were cyber-coyotes and he didn't liked them, but Bee wasn't foolish enough to go and get himself ate by one.

"We can protect you." Sunstreaker told him. "You're not gonna fight off a robo-fly on your own."

Bee pouted at that.

One because it was rude and two because it was correct.

And he didn't like that.

"Not helpless!" His words slipped back to that of a sparkling for a moment reminding both twins that he hadn't really been anything other than one longer than a few breems. Sure he learned how 'big bots' talk quickly and picked up on it even quicker, including a few more unpleasant words. The twins prided themselves with that while the fact horrified Prime, Ratchet, and Ironhide. Needless to say the youngling was brighter than any thought possible, but when it came down to it. He was still just a youngling inside and out.

Sunstreaker suppressed the chuckle that wanted free from him before he sat up cradling Bee in his arms. "Of course not. One of these orns we're gonna teach you how to kick aft with the best of us, but until than you have to be looked after. Right?"

Bee turned away in the mech's arms annoyed with his inability to take care of himself. However, his attention was quickly snatched away from the twins when a warm presence, worried and spiking with anger, raced out from around him in search of his shimmering little spark. He knew the presence like he knew his own.

The short antennas atop his head flickered with interest.

Optimus was looking for him, and he wasn't happy. Bee pulled his well learned walls up around his spark to hide himself just so he could find out who was with his Optimus and why he was so angry.

A booming presence hit him then.

The spark that loved him undyingly and yet could send any that crossed it into a state of panic was burning with so much anger beside Optimus's that Bee shuddered just a little.

He couldn't remember the last time Ironhide had been that mad. Not even when he walked into the gun range to find Bee sitting dead center of the floor while Sunstreaker and Blaster tried to kill each other and Sideswipe rolled around beside him dying of laughter.

He'd been fuming then, sending all three bots to Ratchet's med bay with a lot of explosions and denting, but now Bee thought that his beloved guardian just might really make good on all his threats and take his mischievous caretakers apart.

Turning his baby blue optics up to Sunny his antennas folded down in fear for the two he adored. "You two in _biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig _trouble."

The brothers glanced at each other before asking in unison. "What?"

"Hide." Was Bee's simple reply as he pointed off to the left where three very angry, very big mechs rounded a fallen tower and their optics found what they were searching for.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe gulped at the anger even they could feel rolling off the fuming Ironhide that very klick.

"Yeah _hide_ is right." Sun sighed knowing how much this was gonna hurt.

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**Dun dun dun!**

**They really did it now didn't they?**

**Snatching Ironhide's charge and taking him on a field trip? Tisk Tisk guys, what were you thinking? Hide is going to tear you apart, and Optimus just might let him.**

**Anyway.**

**Here you go. The next part of Bee's tale!**

**A few vorns have pasted. He's a little older. A little wiser. Though still equally adorable. And his adventures really starts now! Ha ha! You guys are in for a treat.**

**I hope you enjoyed the next step in Bee's story. With luck it was all you guys were hoping for. As promised you got the Twins. I hope their fans are thrilled. Because I love them, and honestly I can see them doing this. So that's how it happened. **

**This chapter was kinda hard. I rewrote it nine times. I just couldn't figure out how I wanted the beginning to . . . you know . . . begin, but I'm happy with how it's ended up. It sets the stage well for all that's coming. Maybe you guys caught the underlying hints. **

**It should be interesting to hear what you all have to say. **

**I look forward to your feedback! So please Read and Review. You might get the next chapter faster considering I've already written up to . . . I think its ten chapters right now, and I'm no where near done yet.**

**This story is going to be so much fun! :)**

**Chat with ya later**

**-Jay**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

**However, the plot is mine. So no touchy.**

**And here we have the longest chapter I've written yet! **

**Yay!**

**Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter, glad to see you guys are sticking with me. **

**Anyway, second chapter of the second part of Bumblebee's story . . . and he's not even in it. For some reason I find that funny. **

**It's time for the Sunny and Sides to come clean, and for the first dark truth to come out. **

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

"I only have one thing to say to the pair of you. Why?"

There had never been moment before that one that either twin wished Optimus would just throw them to Ironhide and leave them to what was to come.

That was what they had figured was going happen. That was what they prepared themselves for. They had not prepared themselves for that question.

Nor did they know how to answer it.

However, both knew as they stood with bowed heads they would have to give the towering commander some reason behind what they had done other than sheer stupidity. Which might be the real cause behind all this, but each knew that not Optimus nor Ironhide or Ratchet thought they were stupid. Maybe not the brightest bots out there, but not stupid.

Sideswipe let out a deep sigh as his brother kept his optics low. It wasn't like either twin to be at a loss for words. Which bothered Optimus more than any of what had happened. When Ironhide came barreling into his quarters this morning about ready to kill something he had known what kind of orn he was going to have. Just why did it have to be Bee's spark-orn? The tiny mech's surprise party had been postponed for later that night because of the search that had to take place. That alone annoyed Prowl beyond comprehension. The loss of his schedule was not something the black and white mech took kindly too, but Prime knew he'd get over it.

Ironhide however, wasn't going to get over this that easily.

He'd only stopped cursing when he had Bumblebee back in his arms and after Ratchet did a quick scan to make sure that the freshly considered youngling was alright. It wasn't that any of them thought the twins would let him get hurt. They all knew both mechs cared about Bee too much to let that happen, and yet they took him out of the safety of the ship into the dangers that lay outside.

What in the name of Primus were the two of them thinking? That was all Optimus wanted to know at the moment.

Ironhide and Ratchet on the other hand wanted to take the two apart piece by piece, and Optimus just might let them, but that would have to wait until he got his answer.

Bee was safely with Red Alert in the medical bay, where the only help Ratchet had at the moment since First Aid was still on Ultra Magnus's ship was making sure he really _was_ fine. The apprentice medic had promised to keep the youngling busy while this little meeting went down. He knew that room was no place for the youngling, just as well as Optimus did.

Prime didn't know how he was going to do it yet, but he was going to find out just what these two had been thinking before Ironhide and the rest of the ship tried to offline them. He had too.

"Because we could." Every bot in the room knew it was a lie the nano-klick Sunstreaker said it. Which was why Optimus leveled the warrior in a harsh gaze as Ironhide glared and Ratchet just crossed his arms over his chest shaking his head.

"Sunstreaker," Optimus warned, his optics narrowing, but the mech wouldn't look at him. The proud bot just stared down at his feet as if the whole universe was weighing on his shoulders. It was his twin that decided to speak.

"We were trying to give him what we never had alright!" Sides raised his tortured optics to his commander that flinched ever so slightly at the way those words were hissed. "We've done the whole locked-away-your-whole-sparklinghood-thing. It's not fair, Prime!"

"Good intentions or not, it isn't right." Sunstreaker added.

"We were just postponing the inevitable. Sooner or later he was going to sneak off. He's two curios for his own good. So we took a little field trip in a place we know better than any mech aboard this vessel and damped his curiosity for a while."

"We were trying to give him what he wanted." Sunny crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "It is his spark-orn after all."

"Yes!" Ironhide hissed. "Which you've pretty much managed to ruin!"

"It's only ruined because you went glitchy when ya couldn't find him." Sunstreaker waved him off with a roll of his dark blue optics. "You should have known we wouldn't let him get hurt."

"Do you even realize how stupid you sound?" Ratchet stared at the golden twin in disbelief, trying to get the mech to think. "Every mech in the universe knows you're cocky Sunstreaker, but are you truly vein enough to believe you can best every Decepticon out there? Are you seriously going to tell me you think you could keep Bumblebee away from Megatron if he had attacked you?"

"Megatron ain't anywhere around here!" Sunstreaker snapped, fuming from being criticized. "Old nasty is too busy tryin' to find the allspark to care about two mechs running around ruins. Besides—" He cut himself off with a flash of terror in his optics knowing he couldn't finish that sentence.

Sideswipe glanced at his brother a little afraid he might actually go _there_ just to prove himself right, but was relieved when his twin looked away from the medic with his optics narrowing and his spark pulsing with pain and anger.

"Besides what?" Optimus questioned, his Gift allowing him to feel the walls around the twins' sparks. He had made an oath with his crew many, _many_, vorns ago, that his powers would not be used against them unless it was absolutely necessary. The commander wasn't sure if now was one of those times or not. The twins _had_ deliberately disobeyed orders and in doing so risked Bumblebee's precious life.

Optimus just wanted to know why before he had to decide what to do with them.

What could have possibly made the pair do something so foolish, and what were they hiding?

"You—" The word flew form Sunny before he even processed he was talking making the warrior bite his lip whirling around to cross his arms over his chest as he tremble with rage trying to keep himself from doing something stupid. The golden mech felt Sides place a reassuring hand on his shoulder trying to calm him, but he knew it would do no good. He was _way_ past his level of control now. Not even Sideswipe was going to be able to keep him from blowing up for much longer.

"You wouldn't understand." Sideswipe finished for his brother with his optics low. "I'm sorry Prime, but you just wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't I?!" Optimus challenged, slamming his hands down on the large table that separated him from the pair.

He was well aware that he was backing the twins in a corner, but the past had proved that sometimes that was the only way to get them to come clean about what they didn't want to talk about. He'd learned that from Ratchet many vorns ago. Since the medic was the only one that they really made a habit of talking to without snarky remarks and witty comebacks, though there was still plenty of that. Ratchet was the one that should probably be questioning them, he was the one they were more likely to answer, but this time it had to be Optimus.

They all knew it.

The secrets had to end.

For as long as he'd known them the Prime had always respected their wishes of keeping their past a secret. He never questioned their scars, or anything else. He let the loyal soldiers do their jobs without too much intervention in their antics. Now though, the more they fought answering the more he wondered if there was more to all this than met the optic.

And he wasn't the only one that was curios.

Ironhide and Ratchet had gone silent, knowing something was going on. The twins might annoy the Pit out of them just like they did most of the ship, but they were treasured comrades epically to the medic, and despite all the name calling, tools upside the head, and blasting with massive cannons they truly were friends. The close nit crew had been through too much together to not be. It was Ironhide that spoke up for the pair in the first place many, many vorns ago when he realized what good allies they would make. It had been Ratchet that patched up the two new comers when they found them in the burning ruble. It had been Jazz that first befriended them when they were forcibly brought back to base by the medic. In the end though it had been Optimus that was the reason they stayed. Now each of the three present just wanted to know what would drive the pair to be so foolish.

And well, they got it.

"You with your _perfect_ little life!" Sunstreaker blew up slamming his brother away as he spun around to practically hiss up at the leader of the Autobots who recoiled slightly at his words and the venom behind them. "The great Optimus Prime! Chosen heir to the _mighty_ Sentinel Prime! What would you ever know about what it's like to be held prisoner!? What would you know about being looked down upon because of your family and your rank!? What would you know about being ripped apart from your creators on the very orn you turned nine vorns old and being sold into the Rings!? What would you know about a stolen youngling-hood!? What would you know of looking through prison bars to the big open universe out there wishing for nothing more than to be free so you could explore it!? How would you know what it feels like to be helpless and left for dead!? How could you possibly understand what it's like!? You can't! So _don't _ask us why! Because you can't understand! We did it because we needed too! Not for him, but for us!"

Suddenly Sunstreaker broke off realizing what he'd just done.

Curling his hands into fist he tried to cool his systems as he recoiled his blades and calmed his blasters. Sideswipe had stood at his side though the whole outburst knowing that it needed to be said. Only once his twin, still shaking with fury, lowered his head in shame refusing to lift them again did he take a step closer to his brother allowing him to have the physical support as well as the reassurance he sent via his siblingbond.

Then he spoke.

"You don't know what it's like for us watching him stare out of windows wondering why he can't do this, can't go here, can't come and see that. It's not the same as it was for us, thank Primus he isn't where we once stood, but it just hits to close to home. He doesn't understand all of this war and anger or why he has to stay in one place, it's wrong to wish he could. We were just trying to give him what we never had. A chance to be a _real _youngling . . . to make his ninth spark-orn far better than ours was."

With that Sideswipe lowered his own optics knowing the truth had finally come out after all these vorns. He would accept whatever came from here. At the truth of where he and Sunny had come from.

Though, there was only one thing that hung in the silent air to Optimus. _The Rings?_ The very place his brother had turned into the monster that he was. The vain of Cybertron.

The twins had been sold into The Rings when they where younglings?

How was that even possible?

Ironhide however, who knew all about the workings of that Pit, had always had a hunch that was where the two came from. He hadn't been raised in the shelter and pride of Sentinel's palace. He'd seen the darker side of Cybertron before the war had broken out. The mirror scars that marked both twins above their sparks had always made him wonder. Now he had his proof. It also explained a lot about their attitudes and their antics. Two younglings who had life stolen from them. It was understandable. He pitied every bot that was unlucky enough to end up in that Pit.

The twins might not be his favorite bots, but he did care for the younger mechs. He hated the influence they were on Bumblebee, but he knew how much they adored him. If he really did hate them he'd never let them anywhere near his charge. Not that he'd ever tell either what he really thought about them. He was much happier just dealing with their stunts, much like Ratchet and Optimus, now though even his outer wall cracked at this new found knowledge.

As the silence hung in the air memoires of the past and of the orn the twins joined the Autobot cause flowed into the processors of every mech in the room.

* * *

_The War was still in its early vorns when Altihex fell. Neither twin had been two attached to the city, but it had been the place they finally stopped running. When the 'Cons descended every instinct in Sunstreaker wanted to fight. He'd been fighting, killing, surviving, his whole life. _

_He was good at it. _

_He lived for it. _

_It was the only way he knew how to make himself feel whole again. It probably didn't help that he had also had a death wish since his ninth spark-orn though. _

_With that in the back of his processor he figured what better way to go out than by the hands of that blasted Mega-idiot's hired guns. _

_Sideswipe had other idea though. _

_He'd just gotten the two of them, alive, out of the Rings. He wasn't going to lose his brother because he wanted to die some horrible death. So when the first bombs fell, he grabbed his older brother by the scruff-bar and ran._

_Might not be the most heroic moment of his life, but at least he figured they'd survive the orn to tell about it. Besides, it wasn't their war nor was it their city. Why should they care?_

_Well, it ended up they cared. _

_They didn't even know how it happened. One klick they were running from the carnage the next they watched a femme get brutally murdered and they were tearing into the slaggin' 'Cons like nothing that had ever been seen. Somehow—how to this orn they didn't know—they managed to survive the battle even as the city fell. The twins were left standing, leaking energon badly, battered, scrapped, torn, and defeated before a fallen statue of the supposed great Prime that hadn't come to save the innocents of this city because he got his stupid aft offlined by his temper tantrum throwing son. They were too lost in hating the world around them that they didn't even notice the nearing bots. Their shock could be understood when from the burning ruble around them a small battalion of Autobots appeared. _

_The first reaction of the pair at hearing someone come up behind them was to spin around blades draw only to lower their weapons at the sight they found. The new comers where no Deceptions. They were none other than Sentinel Prime's heir Optimus Prime, his weapons specialist, his CMO, and his second in command, along with Ultra Magnus one of his commanders. _

_Optimus blinked in surprise at the sight of the gold mech and red mech that lowered their weapons at the sight of them. All he could think was that survivors stood before him. Survivors! Not all had been lost!_

_However, the greeting he was granted was physically painful._

_"Well, well, well," The gold mech narrowed his optics not seeming to even notice the amount of energon that was leaking from a deep gash in his mid-section. "The great Optimus Prime decided to come and save the city did he? Well sorry mech, but you're a little late." _

_A low growl rose from the chest of the massive black mech to Optimus's side at the insult to his best friend, but it didn't make either brother twitch. They'd fought far worse than him. They had the matching scars to prove it. Even though the only real thing noticeable about the two of them at the moment was how much energon they were covered in. _

_To this orn Ratchet blames that for his actions. His medic instinct cut over every over thought in his processor. As disrespectful as they seemed they still needed his attention. With one glance at Optimus for permission he received a nod and he went into fixit mode. Taking a step forward Ratchet was Pit bent on getting to work until a pair of matching blades raised in unison to meet him._

_"Oh no medic," The red one shook his head as the two of them stepped back from the Autobot search party. The seasoned medic could have sworn he saw fear dance in those narrowed optics, but it was quickly covered by an anger he hadn't figured out. "We don't do med-bays. Take your efforts elsewhere." _

_"Look, whoever you two are," Ratchet's gaze narrowed at the threat. "You'll offline in a matter of breems at the rate you're losing energon."_

_The brothers glanced at each other before shrugging._

_"Hasn't really bothered us before." The gold one snapped. "Besides it's about time anyway."_

_The conversation never went further than that though, because Ratchet had had enough of their smart mouths. One strong electron burst later and the survivors lay knocked clean out on the ground. Ratchet sighed, knowing in some way he'd eventfully pay for that choice, and went to retrieve his knew patients. _

_"It is logical to assume neither will be pleased when they come too." Prowl protested the action, but he soon fell silent at the look the medic shot him. _

_Instead of arguing further he went against his better judgment and helped Ironhide and Ratchet haul the ingrates back to the ship. _

_Several more search and rescue missions went out that orn, but Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the only online bots to be found. That added to Optimus's need for them to be patched up and questionable. He had let the painful comment go as soon as it was said. It wasn't his place to hold grudges against bots pulled into a war that was _his_ fault. He knew such things would never help him. So he stood patiently in the hallway of the med-bay with Ironhide, Magnus, and Prowl as Ratchet tried to repair the two that were still knocked clean out._

_It was safe to say neither Prowl nor Ironhide were all that happy about the happenings, but neither voiced it. Both knew the information the two possessed would be valuable. In the end it was Ultra Magnus that finally questioned his friend and leader._

_"You do realize you brought two innocent bots here against their will, right Optimus?" He sat in a waiting chair leaned against the wall with his massive arms crossed over his chest with his battle staff, still dripping energon from the few 'Cons they had managed to try and stop, laying across his lap._

_"We cannot afford to lose the information they might have." Prowl was the one to respond. _

_"And what if they were just two innocents caught in the crossfire?" Magnus questioned. "What if they know nothing?"_

_"That is unlikely." Prowl assured._

_"Have to agree with stick-in-the-mud on this one." Ironhide rumbled. Ignoring the harsh glare that came his way he went on. "I know warriors when I see them, and those two know how to fight. They leveled swords with Hatchet for crying out loud. Not even a 'Con would get in that slaggers way when he's in fixit mode."_

_"Their audacity is not why they should be questioned." Prowl shook his head._

_"If they claim to know nothing they will be free to go their own way." Optimus finally spoke up. _

_That got him three very confused glances._

_"You will just let them leave?" Prowl seemed awe struck, his optics twitching a little bit at the course of action that made no sense to him. "But they have seen our base?"_

_"They will see a med-bay." Optimus assured him. "Nothing more. Besides Magnus is right. We brought them here against their will. They are not warriors of Megatron so therefore they are not prisoners. They will not be treated as such. They are two brave sparks trying to defend themselves, and an innocent city. If they wish to leave they will be allowed to go without a fight."_

_"That's if they don't start blasting stuff." Ironhide cast a glance to the door that separated them from their guest. "I have a feeling they're not going to be too happy with all this." _

_"Mechs!" A optimistic boom rang out down the hallway making each bot turn to find Jazz running toward them._

_"What's wrong Jazz?" Optimus and Ironhide were quick to ready themselves while Prowl rolled his optics and Magnus sat back quietly observing like he so often did._

_"Oh nothing's wrong, boss bot!" Jazz waved them off before he slide to a stop staring hopefully at the med-bay doors. "Inferno just said, that Red Alert said, you mechs found survivors!"_

_"They're not femmes if that's what's got you running down here so fast." Prowl deadpanned._

_It earned him a heated glare. "I didn't think they were femmes, ya fragger." _

_"It's a logical assumption in account of you being you."_

_"Say that again, buddy!" _

_"Enough," Optimus pulled the two ninjas apart before he had something out of hand to deal with and seriously thought about sending them both to their separate offices to do paperwork. He knew they were close friends, but they were so different sometimes they were more likely to offline each other than anything else. _

_Jazz huffed, turning away from Prowl while the other simply pulled out a data pad and went to busying himself with work. _

_"So did ya?"Jazz asked after a few nano-kliks of silence. He never was one to be quiet for very long._

_"Yes, Jazz." Optimus nodded. "Ratchet is trying to repair them."_

_"Busted up pretty bad, huh?" _

_"They should be offline." Ironhide commented. "That was what Megatron was after. He didn't want any survivors. That's not really his style at the moment."_

_"Doubt it will ever be." Magnus voiced quietly._

_"They seemed knowledgeable in the art of war." Prowl pointed out. "Quick to draw weapons. Quick to insult."_

_That got Jazz grinning. "Oh, bots after my own spark?" _

_"They smarted off to Prime if that's what you mean." Ironhide nodded. "Don't really seem to like our leader."_

_A sudden crash snapped all the mechs' focus as a feral yell rose up from the other side of the door._

_"LET ME OUT OF THIS FRAGGIN' MED-BAY YOU PIT-SPAWNED SLAGGIN' FRAGGER!"_

_"That don't sound good." Jazz comment before every mech rushed forward forcing the bay doors open just in time to watch the golden twin slam his drawn blade down in the spot Ratchet had been standing two nano-klicks ago as the red twin spun off the berth he lay on pointing a rocket blaster at the medic and then his entering companions. _

_However, no further actions were taken by the pair. _

_They weighed their options in nano-klick silently between them. They were outnumbered, out-gunned, and they had no idea where in Pit they were. Attacking was not in their best interest. Though that had never stopped Sunstreaker before so his brother was quick to shoot him a glare when he drew his sword from the metal floor leveling it with the yellow and red medic who they had cut off from his companions. The harsh growl of Ironhide's charged cannons leveling with the back of Sunstreaker's head along Optimus's blaster, Jazz's rocket gun, Prowl's own dueling blades, and Magnus's staff made Sideswipe growl under his breath at his brother. Optimus caught the quick exchange of glares and growls before the gold mech lowered his blade ever so slightly quickly stepping away from Ratchet to the other mech's side as they stood where they could keep their optics on all their competition. _

_"Weapons down!" Ironhide growled._

_"Hide," Prowl warned. _

_"NOW!"No one threatened the mech's friends. No one! Especially not in their own base! Ratchet was trying the help the ingrates and they tried to run him through. This did not please Ironhide one fragging bit._

_The red mech lowered his blaster slightly as his companion hiss out a curse to the pulsing cannons. Did that fool have a death wish? Ironhide wasn't sure. Ratchet on the other hand was pretty much convinced. _

_When the blade came down he knew it wouldn't hit him, if the mech had been trying to he never would have yelled first. Besides, Ratchet knew when a bot wanted to do harm and when they just wanted to be left alone. There was no explaining that to Hide though. His friends were the only family Ironhide had left, and it had been a bot with dueling swords that took away his family to begin with. He would not be forgiving of the action so easily. _

_"Easy Ironhide." Ratchet spoke up from where he stood carefully observing his patients._

_"Easy Ironhide!?" Hide snarled, looking at his friend in disbelief. "He tried to shish kabob you!"_

_"If he'd been meaning to hit him he'd be offline."The red mech said fully lowering his blaster and putting an arm on his companion's wrist making him lower his blades. With a harsh hiss and a clang of metal the golden mech retracted his swords, but his glare stayed level on the bots that stood between him and his way out of this fraggin' room. _

_"Got that right, fragger." The golden one grumbled. "I don't miss."_

_"Threatening the medic trying to save your life, yeah that looks good." Jazz raised an optics ridge. "Not really into this whole being helped out thing are ya?"_

_"We didn't ask for help!" The gold one snarled. "In fact we declined it! And if you don't let me out of this fraggin' med-bay I'll—" _

_"Oh, mute it!" The red one shoved the other hard in the shoulder turning his glare on his own companion. _

_That action shocked the Autobots. __Ironhide even lowered his cannons._

_"What?" The other yelled._

_"You heard me."_

_"Since when do you tell me what to do!?"_

_"Since when do you think you can take on Optimus Prime!?"_

_"Oh please," The gold one laughed. "We've faced worse. This orn actually!"_

_"You know you ain't helping none!"_

_"Who said I was trying to help!?"_

_"Listen here you—" _

_"Yo!" Both mechs had ended up in each other faceplates looking about ready to try and take each other apart when Jazz's snap pulled them apart to turn their glares on him. "Aren't ya like supposed to be—" _

_"STAY OUT OF THIS!" They snarled in unison. _

_Jazz threw his hands up in surrender as the two turned back to glare at each other._

_"Don't tell me what to do!" The gold one ground out._

_"Stop trying to get yourself killed!"_

_"You're one to talk!"_

_"Yeah I am!"_

_"Oh that's rich!"_

_"Look I'm the older brother, you listen to me!"_

_"Oh yeah, like that's ever worked! Besides you're like two klicks older!"_

_"That counts!"_

_"You been trying to get your stupid aft killed for vorns!"_

_"Like you're not!"_

_"I'm not ready to let you die!"_

_"That ain't your choice!"_

_"I'm your twin you fraggin' idiot I have a little bit of choice in the matter!"_

_"My life!"_

_"My brother!"_

_Jazz sighed, leaning over to whisper to Prowl as the argument went on. "I'm confused."_

_"Me too." Prowl admitted. _

_"That's a feat." _

_"Sure is."_

_"WILL THE TWO OF YOU JUST MUTE IT!?" Ratchet had finally had enough. Grabbing the first thing in his range he launched two wrenches at both their heads waking them hard earning him two rather loud yelps followed by a sling of curses that would make his Sire turn in his grave, though the medic paid them no mind._

_"Hey watch the paint you slaggin' Wrench!" The gold one snarled._

_"Mute it!" Ratchet warned rising another wrench. The pair shrank back slightly rubbing the dents in their heads. Though they did go silent. Ratchet let out a sigh. "Now, how about we all lower the weapons, stop screaming at each other, and talk this out like civilized mechs?"_

_"Sounds reasonable." Optimus lowered his blaster. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of this pair, though now he did know they were twins. Which he had thought might be the case before. _

_ "Will you two comply?" Prowl glared over at the pair. Sideswipe glanced at Sunstreaker who glanced back. Their argument was already long forgotten, both were just trying to figure out how to get out of here now._

_"And what if we said we just wanted out of your stupid med-bay and away from where ever it is you took us?" Sideswipe raised an optic ridge. _

_Optimus stepped aside from the doors holding out a hand to offer them the way out. Sunstreaker took one look at the door and bolted, dragging a grumbling Sideswipe along behind him until they reached the end of the hallway outside the medical bay and came to a stop. Once they were free of the too clean walls, and the too clean smell, and the too clean berths, and the too clean tools, and the too much of everything that made Sunstreaker want to pull his own wires out and made Sideswipe want to blast things to pieces they each let out a breath. Casting each other a nod they turned back to face the mechs who leaned out the door staring at them._

_"Out here." Sunstreaker snapped. "Not in there."_

_Optimus complied. Walking from the med-bay he didn't stop until he stood a few feet in front of the shorter bots who glanced up at him wearily and with a bit of anger. The leader's companions followed spreading out behind him to watch the strange pair._

_"Got a thing against medical bays?" Jazz questioned. _

_He was granted glares._

_"Take that as a yes." He nodded._

_Optimus figured the best place to start was to gain their trust, so he began with names. "I assume judging by all you've said you already know who I am?"_

_"Is there a living organism in the universe that doesn't know you?" Sideswipe pointed out._

_"Fair point." Jazz nodded. This time the glares came from his team mates. "Sorry."_

_"I imagine there are." Optimus answered._

_"Lucky them." Sunstreaker mumbled. Sideswipe chuckled at that. Optimus merely let it roll off._

_"This is Ratchet my CMO," Prime motioned over to the medic that had patched up the pair before they decided to try and stab him. The twins observed the medic with caution, their distrust for anything medical becoming more and more clear to the seasoned medic. All he did was nod to them not trusting them to allow anything else. "My second in command Prowl." Prowl's judging gaze ran over them making their optics narrow in unison before he let the judgment go and nodded as well. "My first lieutenant Jazz."_

_"Sup new-bees?" _

_He received two lifted optic ridges. _

_"Ignore him." Prowl rolled his optics._

_"Hey! No bot asked you!"_

_The twins shared a smile as the two bots glared at each other until Magnus shoved them apart. _

_"Really?" He snorted. "Jazz is a loose cannon we all know that, but Prowl what's up with you lately?"_

_Prowl grumbled looking away harshly insulted and refusing to take part in such a conversation._

_"Anyway," Optimus said. "This is Ironhide, my weapons specialist."_

_"Punks." Ironhide grunted. _

_"Cannons." Sideswipe snorted._

_"And this is Ultra Magnus one of my commanders." Optimus finished._

_"Pleasure." Magnus nodded. All he got in return though was two tilted heads. _

_Silence followed the interdiction as the brothers looked them all over before they glanced at each other. Optimus waited patiently for them to decide what their next move would be. He was in no rush to scare them off before he even knew anything about them. Especially with the potential Ironhide seemed to sense in them and the knowledge they might have._

_"Sideswipe," The red mech said. "He's Sunstreaker."_

_Sunstreaker shrugged. "Can we go now oh high and mighty commander of the Autobots, heir to Sentinel Prime?"_

_"You are free to leave if you wish," Optimus took a deep breath trying not to let the annoyed mech bother him. "Though I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."_

_"We don't know anything."Sunstreaker cut in with a glare. "Wasn't our city. Weren't our bots. Just got a problem with bots killing cuz they can. That's the only reason we fought."_

_"So sorry," Sideswipe finished. "But what Mega-idiot is trying to accomplish by leveling that place, besides you know being a Pit-Spawned bastard—no offence—we've got no idea."_

_"Can't help you more than that." Sunstreaker added._

_"Just a pair of vagabonds." _

_"Can't be much more than that." _

_"Well you could be soldiers."Jazz pointed out. _

_Sunstreaker snorted waving an amused hand their way. "And take orders from you lot?"_

_"Don't think so."Sideswipe shook his head. "We don't do orders."_

_"Well what do you do?" Ironhide snapped. "Run around trying to get your stupid afts killed?"_

_They glanced at each other before answering in unison. "Something like that."_

_"Well that's a pitiful waste of talent." The weapons specialist ground out._

_"Talent?"Sideswipe raised an optic ridge. "Thought you wanted to blast us?"_

_"Don't get him wrong he does." Jazz patted Ironhide on the arm earning him a growl before he went on. "But you two can fight. Anybot can see that. Believe me, we need a few more good fighters. Mega-idiot don't really fight all that fair."_

_"Gee figure that out all on your own did you?" Sunstreaker snorted. "None like him ever do."_

_"You don't really fight all that fair either." Sideswipe pointed out._

_"Not my fault. Bad influences." His twin shrugged._

_"Sure." The other shook his head._

_"Oh like you're any better." Sunstreaker shot back._

_"Never claimed to be."_

_"Then don't lecture." _

_"Hey now, don't start that again." Jazz cut in trying to keep the two glaring bots on topic. He earned both their attention in return, but he could have lived without the glares that made his armor crawl. _

_"So what, you want to draft us or something?" Sideswipe finally held gazes with Prime as he stood a little taller before the commander. Deep down inside he was shocked, but he refused to let it show. The possibility of a home. Of a life. Of a purpose. It called to his spark like nothing ever had and he didn't need to ask his twin to know the same feelings were bouncing around in his spark. _

_"Whether or not you know what Megatron wanted in Altihex you still seem to be capable warriors. You survived after all. I'm always looking for another brave spark to help set this all right." Optimus answered._

_"Join the Autobots?" Sunstreaker turned to his brother who shrugged in return._

_"We've done crazier, and after all you do have a death wish."_

_"True that." The gold twin nodded. One more shared glance of silent conversation and it was decided. _

_"We're in."_

_"Great!" Jazz grinned._

_"You do realize that requires taking orders?" Prowl questioned._

_"Oh stop ruining the moment, Prowler!" Jazz snapped._

_"We've done stupider things believe us." Sideswipe chuckled._

_"And just try finding any other bots as good as us." Sunstreaker challenged. "Unfortunately surviving is kind of our specialty." _

_"Don't know how that is though." Sideswipe shook his head._

_"Well then," Magnus finally spoke up again shooting Prime a short look to which he nodded. "Welcome to the Autobot army."_

* * *

"You never said anything." Unsurprisingly it was Ratchet that finally spoke up with his emotions for the pair in his optics. He not-so-secretly had grown to care about the pair more than he wanted to admit over the vorns that he had known them. He liked having them around. They were a good distraction. Granted sometimes he would rather take them apart and use them for salvage for all the stupid stuff they got themselves into. Though through all these vorns he never imagined the reasons behind their ways was because they'd been sold into the Rings.

Into that Pit of a sport of slavery and gladiators.

"Oh yeah," Sideswipe snorted. "Like we were just gonna come up one orn and say 'hey mechs guess what, we got snatched as runts and sold into slavery to battle to the death ever orn of our miserable little lives.' yeah that makes since, Wrench."

"It doesn't make what we did right." Sunstreaker sighed. "And it better not have anything to do with what punishment we get! Here that, Prime!"

Optimus was still personally in shock as he slowly raised his optics to stare at two of his most loyal warriors. "Your punishment will be left to Prowl. It's his schedule you ruined."

Both mechs tensed at that for a moment before nodding slowly lowering their optics again. Silence fell over the meeting room after that until Sideswipe quietly spoke.

"I know we are in no place to be making request, Prime, but can this . . . ." He didn't know how to finish so he looked to his brother for support.

"Not leave this room?" Sunstreaker whispered out.

The words shocked Optimus almost as much as the earlier ones. Did they really think that he'd tell their guarded past? He understood why neither wanted it known. He did not fault them for their secret. If anything he now held them in an even more respected light. The horrors he'd witnessed the orn he found out what his brother was really doing when he snuck away had never left him. It had been that Pit that changed Megatron forever. It was that place that made him into the monster he was.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had been affected, he could clearly see that now, but they hadn't let it ruin them. Part of him wondered if joining his army had something to do with that.

"Your stories are yours to tell." Optimus nodded. "Though Prowl will have to know for it to be taken into account to what punishment he give you."

"Tell him it was one of our stupid pranks." Sides said.

"Tell him we finally went glitchy." Sun added.

"He'll believe it."

"We'll take whatever he gives us."

Optimus was dumbfounded. "But—"

"Just because we fear our past doesn't mean we should have taken Half Pint of the ship." Sides cut Prime off. "We knew that when we did it. Which makes it insubordination no matter the tragic backstory."

"We shouldn't of, but we did." Sunny nodded. "We'll pay the price. We agreed to fight your war a long time ago, Prime. In doing so it has become our war. Neither of us regret that. So disobeying was wrong."

"No if, ands, or buts." Sides finished.

Optimus let out a sigh. How could he punish the pair for trying to give Bumblebee what he was to scared too? Sure they hadn't gone about it the best way, but with the information he now had he couldn't fault them. And he knew what Prowl's punishment would be for their actions. It was not a fair price to be paid for trying to help.

"He'll send you to the brig." Ironhide spoke up. "He won't let you go to Bee's party."

Both sets of optics widened ever so slightly before the mechs sighed and nodded.

"We've already given him what we could." Sides shrugged, his upbeat air having faded by now. "No sense in being there anyway."

"He'll want you there." Ratchet crossed his arms still shocked by all of this, and these much more mature level headed twins.

"He knows what we did was wrong." Sunny wouldn't look up. "We made sure of that. Half Pint's smart enough to understand."

"Why didn't you just express your thoughts?" Optimus finally made himself ask.

"Because we're very aware that your right." Sideswipe snorted. "Two klicks out there in the wrong spot and he'd be offline like this." With a snap he shook his head. "He's fraggin' tiny! If Megatron does get a hold of him he's finished. But that doesn't make a life behind prison bars right, Prime. Even if the prison bars are built out of love."

"Ours weren't." Sunstreaker sighed. "So maybe our judgment is a little clouded, but honestly can any of you claim to know what it's like?"

"You think we keep him prisoner?" Ironhide wanted to know. Was he keeping his precious little Bumblebee trapped? He didn't know any other way to keep him online.

"I think he's old enough to be allowed to see some of what lies beyond this ship in more than just pictures and stories." Sides answered.

"Maybe you're right." Optimus breathed out. "But it won't change the universe. It won't change the war. And it certainly won't change what has to be done."

"You can't protect him from what he must become you know that right, Prime?" Sunstreaker bluntly stated. "Sooner or later he will be soldier."

Optimus nodded solemnly. "Which is a sad fact in and of itself."

* * *

** I'm mean.**

**Just cutting it off like that. Sorry guys, but it was the perfect way to end it.**

**Now, how about that? The two most dangerous killing machines in the Autobot army are the way they are because they got sold into slavery at nine-vorns old. Dang that explains a lot. **

**Sunny's attitude, Sides' pranks, both of them being lethal death machines. Just kind of all adds up now. **

**The backstory of how the twins ended up with the Autobots was actually supposed to be, at most, maybe a page long . . . no it was ten. I just stared writing and suddenly this _thing _happened. I have no idea where it came from. Apparently, Sunny and Sides have their own story to tell. Just like so many other characters in this crazy mess inside my head. I love it! **

**And I hope you liked it. Hope any Sunny and Sides fans out there approve of my version of them. Because I love them. They are just so much fun to write. **

**It only gets better from here guys! At least in my opinion . . . I might be a tad bit bias . . . maybe. :)**

**Please let me know what you think because reviews are how you get the chapters faster! **

**Read and Review! **

**Chat with ya later.**

**-Jay **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro does. We all know that. **

**However, the plot of this story and the OCs are mine. So no touchy.**

**First off I would just like to thank all you who are reviewing! You are truly amazing and you keep me going with this story! So thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**Now I would also like to add that this is my favorite chapter so far! I absolutely adore it! It was so much fun to write!**

**I mean come on, Bee's spark-orn! It's just amazing and the possibilities were endless. Because what could possibly go wrong?**

**Ha! Have you met his family? Nothing ever goes as Prowl plans. No matter how hard he tries some bot is going to thrown a monkey wrench into his well oiled machine. . . *cough* Jazz.**

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. Go forth and enjoy baby Bumblebee!**

* * *

Chapter 3

"PROWL!"

The white and black mech went ridged at the angry voice echoing into the silence of his quiet office behind him. Slowly lowering the data pad where he was currently typing a report of the latest stunt those two idiot twins pulled, he spun his swivel chair to find Bumblebee wearing quite a pout in Jazz's arms from where the pair stood in the door of his office.

Prowl knew why they tiny mech was here.

But this was one time that youngling's adorable little faceplate wasn't going to get him what he wanted. Because to put it lightly, Prowl was pissed, and he'd had just about enough of those two fools for a couple of orns.

The _audacity_ still amazed him. They actually had the _nerve_ to take Bee off the ship. To wreak Prowl's schedule!

Oh no, Optimus might have forgiven them, but as far as Prowl was concerned they could rust in the brig for a few orns and think about their stupidity. It was the least of what they deserved, and no pouting youngling was going to change that.

"Bumblebee?" The strategist answered emotionlessly.

"Let 'em out!" Bee snapped harshly his bright baby blue optics glaring into Prowls light blue ones. "My spark-orn! I want 'em out!"

Prowl turned back to his reports without so much as a twitch in his wall of emotions. "No."

Jazz chuckled at the frustration billowing off his newly retrieved favorite youngling. He hadn't really been all that mad at the twins when he found out what happened, once he cooled off that is. When he stuck his head out of his quarters this morning to find Ironhide running around like a cyber-duck with it's head cut off yelling that the twins took Bee and about how he was going to tear them into a billion tiny pieces, the ninja had been as livid as the rest of the ship. He wanted to kick those two fools around the sun and back for doing something so stupid, but after a moment he had realized what they were doing, and he knew they'd never let anything happen to Lil' Bee. He also figured that since they'd been in Optimus's meeting room so long the truth about their past had finally come out. His only opinion on that matter was that it was about damn time. He'd confronted the pair about their past vorns ago and got the answer he knew he would. It hadn't changed anything between the friends though. If anything it made their friendship stronger.

"LET 'EM OUT!" Bee yelled kicking his short legs in Jazz's grip snapping the silver mech out of his thoughts.

"Hey now," Jazz scolded not very fond of getting kick. "Take it out of him not me."

"They disobeyed orders, Bumblebee." Prowl glanced over his shoulder trying to get the youngling to understand. "They will serve their punishment and your fit will change nothing."

That left Bee in a very hopeless situation.

His beloved twins, who had dared to take him exploring, were now locked away down in the brig and would not be allowed to come out for who knew how long. This wasn't how his spark-orn was supposed to go. However, the little mech knew better than to argue with Prowl. It never got him anywhere. He couldn't gaze up at the bot pleadingly and have him crumble like all the rest. No, Bee's darling youngling charm had no effect on the stone wall that was Prowl's emotions. At least on the outside.

With a heavy huff Bee leaned back against Jazz's chest refusing to look at the mech who wouldn't at least hear him out. "Fine." He mumbled with his short arms crossed over his chest and a glare that could make Megatron's armor crawl.

Jazz was a little shocked at Bee giving in so easily, but with a shrug he nodded bye to Prowl and left the workaholic to his reports going in search of something he knew would make the youngling smile instead of scowl. It was his spark-orn after all, and the youngling should be happy. Jazz was intended on seeing that happy was exactly what he was.

However, Jazz's plan went a little astray when puzzles turned into cards, and cards turned into C-Ball, and C-Ball turned into hide and seek in which he lost the youngling.

Said events being Bee's plan from the very beginning.

He might be the slowest mech on _Artemis 1_, but he had ways of vanishing that he'd been perfecting since he could crawl. All he really needed was a momentary lapse in concentration from the mech that was supposed to be watching him and he was up on his little feet silently scurrying away before any bot noticed. Once he'd slipped out of sight it wasn't hard to hug corners and shadows using his talent of feeling sparks to know who was looking for him and where they were. Not to mention he knew Jazz wouldn't be quick to give up and call in help to find him. He was far too stubborn for that. So Bee set out feeling his way around the levels of the ship until he found the sparks he was searching for. Which just so happened to all be in the same place. Maybe it was his lucky orn after all.

Scurrying as fast as he dared with his uncoordinated little frame he headed toward Ratchet's med-bay. He knew the path so well he could make the journey with his optics closed, but he decided that looking out for Jazz would be the better option. No telling when the silver ninja might pop out of a shadow with a stern lecture about how running off was bad.

Bee was in no mood for lectures this orn, so he was content on making sure his caretaker didn't find him.

Surprisingly, his quest went uninterrupted though. It seemed every mech on board was busy with something they didn't want him to be a part of, which served him perfectly for the klick so he ran with it. When he reached the bay doors however a problem arose for the little youngling. How exactly was he supposed to get the doors open?

He hadn't really thought that part of his plan through.

A heavy pout set itself on Bee's faceplate as he gazed up at the key pad that hovered far too high for him to even think about trying to reach it.

Well this hadn't gone the way he wanted it too.

Mauling over his options he settled for the only one that would really work. Raising a tiny fist along with his walls to keep himself hidden he racked it hard against the cold steel door sending little clangs echoing around the quiet hall. Silence followed his knocking until a slightly annoyed voice answered.

"Well it's not locked!" Ratchet called out from the other side. "Come on!"

Bee rolled his optics knocking once more.

"Blast it you—" The door swished open to emptiness which cut Ratchet off. _Huh? _

A tiny giggle escaped Bee causing the tall medic to look down and find a grinning youngling standing before his door. With another smirk Bumblebee bolted between the mech's legs and into the med bay. He almost made it across the floor without falling, but as was usual running never really got him anywhere and he tripped almost landing hard on his faceplate before Ironhide reacted. Snatching Bee nano-kliks before he hit the floor Hide grumbled under his breath at the fact that once again he'd snuck off.

"Bumblebee," Ironhide scolded bringing the youngling up to sit on the table before the mech. "How did you get here?"

Bee grinned wickedly as he gazed up at his loving guardian. "Beating Jazzy at hide and seek."

His guardian rolled his optics at that.

"Prime, you need to outlaw that game!" Ironhide shot his friend a glare when he and Ratchet started laughing as the medic rejoined his friends at the table in his office. The moment Optimus had laid optics on the youngling he stashed the surprise they'd been working on under the table to keep it out of Bumblebee's sight and now sat with his hand over his faceplate trying to hide his laughter at the sight of Bee's glittering blue orbs staring up at him with glee.

"But he's so good at it." Optimus tried to rein in his laughter as Ironhide just darkened his glare.

"Yep!" Bee cheered only to stop abruptly when a thought occurred to him. As he sat there in the company of his three favorite mechs he realized what had yet to be said to him this orn. The notion made his gleeful optics darken and his smile turn to a scowl.

"Squirt?" Ratchet questioned the rather annoyed look that captured Bee. The little youngling crossed his arms over his chest before he glanced around the table. Ironhide raised an optic ridge at the disconnect that flowed to him and the mechs around him via Bee's talented spark.

"What's wrong, Bee?" Hide was about to pick his charge up off the table to hold the unhappy youngling when Bee leaned away from him shooting him a glare that could slice the strongest armor. Hide was shocked by the action. Not once had Bee ever not wanted to be held by his guardian, or any mech in this room for that matter.

Never.

The sight of the little mech glaring up at him made Ironhide's spark ache trying to figure out what he'd done to upset his charge.

"Haven't said happy spark-orn yet." Bumblebee snapped harshly.

All three sets of optics widened in shock before guilt latched onto all of them.

"Bee," Ironhide shook his head slowly with a heavy sigh at the realization. In all the chaos of the morning the fact that he hadn't wished his youngling a happy spark-orn completely slipped the massive mech's mind. And he felt absolutely awful about it. "I'm sorry."

Bee stuck out his bottom lip as he refused to look at his guardian.

Not being wished a happy spark-orn by his most favorite bots _ever_ did not please the youngling one tiny bit.

Because they had forgotten him.

They actually forgot him . . . the fact made his little spark ache. This family wasn't supposed to forget him. They weren't supposed to ever leave him. They weren't supposed to go away like his carrier had. They had promised that with them he had a home, that this was where he belonged now, but to his young processor forgetting to tell him happy spark-orn was the first step to forgetting him.

"Bumblebee," Optimus was well aware that upsetting the youngling hurt Ironhide far more than it hurt even him and he, the all powerful leader of the Autobots, was wrapped around that tiny mech's finger from orn one. He adored the creature with all his spark. However, to Ironhide the disappointment went deeper.

It stung the hardened weapon specialist worse.

Bee was the first youngling Optimus had ever had the privilege to adore with every speck of his spark, but for Ironhide he wasn't. He was the one he'd been given a second chance with. A chance the mech refused to mess up. Even if that meant he along with every other member of the commander's crew were spoiling the brilliant little mech rotten.

"It has been a difficult orn, young one. None of us were expecting to wake up to find you gone."

Bee lessened his pout at that.

His Prime made a good point. The twins had kind of scared the whole crew senseless.

The youngling gave a small nod unable to deny that it had been a complicated orn.

"And you know we didn't forget." Ratchet poked the youngling gently in the side earning him a smile before Bee finally let all his annoyance go.

"I know." Bee turned to share his smile with his guardian who smiled in return reaching out with his spark to the familiar warmth the youngling pulsed with every beat of his spark. Bee quickly snatched up the protective strength that Hide's spark soaked him with before he did the same to the wise and calm warmth that was Ratchet's spark and then the powerful kind presence that was Optimus's.

"Happy ninth spark-orn my little Bee." Ironhide practically cooed as he cuddled the tiny mech in love and warmth from the glow in his spark.

Bumblebee's baby blue optics shimmered with light. "Thanks Hide."

"Same here, Squirt." Ratchet nodded.

"Happy spark-orn, Bumblebee." Optimus smiled.

Bee grinned around at all of them with his little hands holding onto his tiny toes that were stretched out before him as he rocked back and forth on the table with that silly little smile that could melt even Prowl's resolve, even if the little creature didn't know it.

"Guess this means I have to admit you're a youngling now right, Bumblebee?" Ratchet teased.

"Uh huh."

"You're still my little Squirt, though." The medic reached forward scooping Bumblebee up and tickling him lightly as he cradled the tiny creature to his chest. "Always will be."

"Not a squirt!" Bee chocked around giggles as he playfully tried to push the tickling fingers away.

"Are too." Hide flicked him on an antenna, hardly enough to be considered more than touching him, but Bee kicked out at him for all he was worth nonetheless his giggles growing louder.

"Not!"

"Are too."

With a sudden harsh hiss the door to the med-bay swished open cutting off the debate as every mech in the room turned to find a panting Jazz in the doorway who's bright optics narrowed at the sight of the little yellow mech sitting in Ratchet's arms. "Why you little sneak!" The short silver mech stomped into the bay. "You tricked me!"

Bee shrank down in the strong medic's arms offering a timed little smile to the fuming saboteur. Ratchet allowed the youngling to hide as the angry mech stomped up beside him to glare down at Bee.

"You planned to sneak off didn't you!?" Jazz almost snarled. He'd been searching the whole fraggin' ship for the youngling, and had just about given up and called Prowl. Which would have ended horribly with his audio processors ringing from the lecture that stupid two-tone mech would have given him. At the last klick though Jazz realized just where this sneaky little creature would be.

And he was right.

That didn't stop him from venting his frustration though.

After all that had happened this orn hadn't the youngling had enough vanishing? Jazz wasn't sure his spark could take much more moments of 'Where in the slaggin' Pit is Bumblebee!?'.

"No." Bee tried to lie. Which was something that didn't work out all that well for him. He never had been very good at it. It was the only time he'd ever not liked his little 'talent' as his family called it. The ability for him to feel and be felt with his spark like nothing else in the universe meant when he tried to deceive it was kind of like claiming he was painted red. The unnatural way his brilliant burning little spark flickered was a dead giveaway that he wasn't telling the truth. He couldn't lie.

He just couldn't.

"You can't lie, Lil' Bee." Jazz raised an optics ridge still fuming.

"You're the one that was stupid enough to play hide and seek with him, Jazz." Ratchet snorted, coming to the youngling's rescue. He wasn't anymore pleased that Bee decided to sneak off from the ninja than Jazz was, but it was his spark orn and the young mech had heard enough lectures for now. "Can't blame him for out smarting you."

"No bot asked you!" Jazz turned his glare to the medic, earning him a narrow optic warning from Ratchet.

"Sorry, Jazzy." The sweet little way the youngling spoke it melted the annoyance right out of the saboteur in one fail swoop. Snorting he leaned against the table staring out across the bay just so he wouldn't snatch up the youngling and spin him around the room.

"Oh fine," He relented as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not possible to be mad at you anyway."

"Sadly." Ironhide chuckled.

"Spoiled rotten little squirt." Ratchet agreed as he began tickling the youngling once more filling his medical bay with the sounds of laughter.

* * *

"Hide?" Bumblebee sat in the middle of his guardian's berth playing with two of his favorite toys. One was a bright blue rubber t-rex—dubbed Rexy—that Jazz showed up with after a mission, and the second was a fuzzy stuffed yellow and black honeybee with shiny soft white wings, big baby blue eyes, and two curled black antennas that danced atop its head. The soft toy—dubbed Buzz—was almost as big as he was, but the orn Ironhide had come back from a mission too some far away planet in the middle of the Milky Way galaxy with this toy the youngling had been on cloud nine. He didn't put it down for a Decacycle carrying it with him everywhere.

It was his favorite toy in the whole universe. One because he thought it was awesome and two because Ironhide had gotten it for him.

Ironhide glanced up from his paperwork to catch sight of the youngling who was sitting in a pile of his bright yellow, ruby red, and dark black blankets playing with his favorite toys.

"What is it, Bee?" He questioned. He was answered by the youngling dropping his favorite play things and holding open his arms with pleading little optics. Ironhide smiled slightly, pushing himself from his desk to walk over and carefully snatch up Bumblebee. Cradling the yawning youngling he made his way back over to his desk to finish his report. Bee snuggled up against Hide's powerful chest trying to cover his yawns as he busied himself with the tattered places that never left his guardian's frame. Bumblebee knew every dent, every scar, and every slightly pealed place of paint that his guardian had yet never bother to fix. The little mech had every bit of Ironhide memorized in his spark.

Why he did it, he wasn't all that sure, but he did it none the less.

It put his worrying little processor to ease for some reason. Most of the time it helped him recharge. However, this evening he didn't want to fall into recharge yet so he asked a question hadn't figured out.

"Hide," He whispered.

Ironhide hummed in reply.

"Why did Sides and Sunny get in trouble for taking me off the ship?"

"Because it's dangerous, Bumblebee. You know that."

"But nothin' bad happen."

"That doesn't change the fact that it could."

An abrupt knocking ended further conversations as Ironhide glanced toward his door. Bee sat up in his arms reaching out with his spark to find out who was there. He grinned broadly when he felt Optimus on the other side.

"Optimus!" He practically chirped.

Hide chuckled. "It's open, Prime."

The door opened with a hiss allowing the towering commander to step into his friend's quarters. It was getting late and he could feel the youngling's long orn weighing on his tried spark, but he also knew that Ironhide had been keeping him busy for breems so the last of the night's surprises could be finished. Bumblebee couldn't be falling into recharge just yet. Even if keeping the little mech up was something Ratchet would throw a fit about.

"Good evening." Optimus greeted as he made his way to Ironhide's desk which was as messy as ever with data chips thrown this way and that, stacks of reports half way to the ceiling, and Bee's many knick knacks he'd been gifted with over the vorns scattered all over creation.

"Evening, Optimus." Ironhide pushed back in his chair allowing Bee to bounce in his arms as he reached for the commander.

"Optimus! Optimus!" The towering red and blue mech took the youngling from his friend pulling him up to rest in the crook of his arm. "Hi, Optimus!"

"Hello again, Bumblebee."

"Guess what!"

The leader chuckled. "What?"

The youngling was about to answer when suddenly he went very quiet looking away from the two mechs in the room to stare at the door that had closed behind the leader. Optimus stilled at the look of confusion that passed over the young mech's optics.

"What that?" Bee asked quietly.

Optimus turned to the door pushing out with his Gift to find a weary Jazz doing his very best to keep his bond with the youngling hidden, not something he did very well, as he snuck around the halls of the ship trying to gather last klick supplies. Optimus rolled his optics in half amusement half annoyance. Could that mech never do anything on time? He was probably shut up in his office listening to those annoying 'tunes' of his when he should have been helping decorate earlier and now was running around like a glitch trying to get it done. Prowl was going to get to lecture some bot besides the twins this orn after all it seemed.

_Well at least it will put him in a better humor._ Optimus admitted to himself.

Optimus was a little surprised though. Bee could feel Jazz's attempts to conceal himself from the clever spark the little yellow mech possessed. It was just another peg in the wall to Optimus. The more he learned about his beloved youngling the more he feared the revelations that were bound to come.

"Nothing, Bumblebee." Optimus assured him earning him a disbelieving look, but the tiny mech relented nonetheless turning back to the leader. "Now, what am I guessing about?"

Bee wiggled in Optimus's hold until the leader was forced to put him down and watch along with an amused Ironhide as the tiny yellow mech bounced across the room, climbed the little stairs that allowed him to reach his berth, and began throwing blankets, toys, and anything else he'd 'found' around the ship until he chirped with joy turning back to the mechs holding the very thing the twins had given him outside.

An old, rusted, and broken Strategy War piece. A commander's ship no less. The most important piece in the whole game.

Dread filled Optimus at the sight of it.

He hadn't realized in the chaos of all the yelling, excuses, and trying to keep Ironhide from offlineing the twins what it was that Bee was clutching to his chest as he sat in Ratchet's hands. The Prime hadn't seen one of those in what felt like a life time. He hadn't wanted to see one ever again.

Bee's happy grin slid right off his little faceplate at the darkening air that suddenly clutched his two favorite bots. He lowered his new toy glancing between them. Had he done something wrong?

"What's wrong?" He questioned once again afraid he'd messed up somehow.

Optimus shook his head to clear it when Ironhide placed a knowing hand on his shoulder as the thickly built black mech rose to his feet heading over to snatch up his charge.

"Nothing is wrong, Bee." Ironhide assured him feeling like every mech aboard this ship told the youngling that way too much. It just seemed the little creature was always trying to apologize for something or another. Why he did it though the mech wasn't sure. "You just shocked us that's all. Where did you get this?" Bee placed his new toy in the open palm of his guardian as he stared at it with joy.

"Sides and Sunny!" He answered.

"Of course." Ironhide had to keep from rolling his optics. They would manage to find a game piece to give Bumblebee in the middle of all that carnage, and _this _game piece no less.

"Don't you like it?" Bee shifted in Hide's hold.

"It's kinda broken don't you think, Bee?" Ironhide countered knowing how much the sight of the playing piece bothered Optimus.

"Wheeljack can fix it! Wheeljack says he can fix anything!"

Ironhide snorted harshly before his optics narrowed. "And when did he you tell that?"

"Couple orns ago. He show me his lab."

"He what!?" Ironhide snapped.

"A matter to be discussed at a different time." Optimus stepped in once he had cleared his processor of all the memoires the object brought him. "I'm sure Wheeljack wasn't doing anything dangerous, Hide."

"It's Wheeljack for Primus sakes! He _breathes_ explosions!"

"Hey," Bee scolded. "Wheeljack fun!"

"Wheeljack is never watching you again." Ironhide ground out as he mentally pictured the best way to decapitate that nut job of a inventor. "I don't know how he managed it in the first place."

"Jazzy was pranking Prowl."

With a grumbled sort of sigh that made Bee giggle Ironhide closed his optics trying to stop himself from handing his charge over to Optimus and going to find that fool so he could scrap him along with Jack. If it wouldn't ruin what was left of his youngling's spark-orn he'd do it in a spark-beat.

"That figures."

Bee tilted his head in confusion. "What wrong now?"

"Pranks annoy your guardian, Little Bee." Optimus said with a little amusement. "You should have learned that by now."

"Oh . . . yeah." Bee nodded slowly not really understand why his beloved guardian didn't like the pranks Jazz and Sides pulled. He thought they were funny.

Board with the conversation he took back his new toy holding the broken ship that was half a big as he was to his chest as he rocked back and forth with it. The object still confused him. Sunny had told him it was a piece to something, but he didn't really understand what. As his guardian and Optimus shared a silent look before turning to head out of the room Bee inspected his new found plaything. It really wasn't as grand, shiny, or fun as his other toys. Ironhide was right about it being broken. However, the youngling loved it. Because Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had gone to all that trouble, gotten themselves thrown in the brig, just to make him happy. He would treasure this toy among his most priced passions because of that.

Though he still really wanted to know just what it was.

"Optimus?"

The commander glanced down to where Bumblebee sat crossed legged in Hide's out stretched hand.

"What . . . ." He tried to recall the word for a moment before finally figuring it out. "Strategy War?"

"It's a board game." Optimus answered carefully.

"Like Dueler Cards?"

"No it's not a card game, Bee." Ironhide said. "It's like its name says. It's a strategy game. Like battle plans. The point is to concur your opponent's base."

Bee tilted his head. "Do you know how to play?"

"I never really liked it." Ironhide cast a careful glance to his left as he and Optimus headed down a few levels toward the rec room. Most bots would have missed the way the Prime tensed up ever so slightly, but Ironhide was not most bots. He had known Prime for too long to have missed the action. The massive black mech wondered just how far that little rocket was throwing his dear friend into the past.

Bee turned his curios gaze to the commander sensing his hesitation.

"I haven't played in many vorns, Bumblebee." The towering mech sighed thinking back to the last game he'd played. The game he never finished.

"Can I play?" Bee asked holding up the toy.

"We don't have the game." Ironhide told him.

"Oh." Bumblebee wasn't really sure why both mechs seemed to not want to talk about the game, but he figured he had better stop bringing it up. Instead he focused on where they were going. He was tired; it had been a very long very interesting orn, but that didn't stop him from trying to shake himself out of it so he could find out where they were going. He knew very well if he looked too tired Ironhide would put him straight to recharge without a klick of thought. His guardian had already seen him yawn and ask to be held, he was aware he was tired. So Bee was dead set to make sure that he didn't show it anymore.

The trio walked in silence until they reached the massive closed door to the mess hall. That was when something seemed very wrong to the little youngling.

The door to the mess hall was never closed.

Never.

Not ever.

Simply because behind closed doors that hid big empty rooms certain bots tended to do things that got them in trouble.

Bee would know.

He'd been sitting in the middle of a big metal table watching Jazz and Sides hot wire the speakers in the mess hall too make the 'Biggest jam session this ship has ever seen!' the last time those doors were closed. It had been funny while it lasted, but it was safe to say the end result hadn't been all that great. Bee could still hear Ratchet yelling about how he was going to turn both the mechs into toasters for making Prowl glitch again.

"Optimus," Bee glanced around. "The door shut."

"That it is." The leader did his best to hide his smile as he went to punch in the numbers into the code lock on the wall.

"You said not suppose be shut anymore."

"That I did."

"Then why it shut?"

Ironhide had to bite his own lip to keep form laughing as he pulled the youngling up in his grasp before setting him down carefully before the door. "Why don't you go find out?"

Bee looked between the mechs in utter confusion before the big door swished open revealing complete darkness on the other side.

Bee didn't move an inch.

Instead he clutched his new toy closer to his chest staring into the inky blackness as if something was going to jump out and grab him. He wasn't all that positive that something wouldn't. He had an inherent weakness though. He was curios, and out of curiosity he tended to do things that scared him just because he wanted to see what it was, what was going to happen, or maybe to just see the look on Hide's faceplate when he found out. So ever so slightly he took a small step forward, glanced over his shoulder to make sure Ironhide and Optimus were still there to smash anything that jumped at him. Satisfied that his loyal protectors were there he reached out with his spark trying to feel what was in the room. What he found was confusing to the little mech. It was like the wall he put up around his spark when he didn't want to be found was covering the room and yet he wasn't doing it. How was there a wall around the room? What was in there? After all it was the mess hall shouldn't some bots be in there?

Taking another step into the room he glanced around the darkness prying for any clue that would show him just what was going on. Frustrated that he couldn't find anything he was about to turn back around with a pout when the lights to the hall sparkled to life and a load unanimous shout rang out.

"HAPPY SPARK-ORN BUMBLEBEE!"

"Epp!" Bee clicked in fright spinning around and dashing back to the safety of his guardian. Ironhide chuckled deeply as every bot in the room that had jumped up from behind tables to surprise the youngling now stared in shock to find him peeking out from behind his guardian's foot to stare back at them with optics widened in fright.

"Told you it would frighten him." Prowl's voice drew Bee's optics to find him not among the standing bots he knew well. Instead he was sitting at a table that was decorated with yellow and blue streamers and on which sat a massive purple energon cake.

"Oh mute it." Jazz waved a hand over at him before he bent down to lock optics with the youngling. "Surprised ya didn't we?"

Bee glanced around before it finally clicked to his little processor. They were throwing him a surprise party! An excited click exploded from the little mech as he bolted from behind his guardian and into the crowded room sending every mech there into a fit of laugher when he launched himself into Jazz's awaiting hands.

Optimus and Ironhide watched with amusement as Jazz spun around bouncing the youngling up and down in the air before Ratchet snapped at him to knock it off before he dropped him. With a silent glance to each other both mechs entered the room as it became a buzz of conversation and laughter. Every mech that wanted to be present at the youngling's party was here now. Prowl had made it possible for everyone to be off duty and the whole ship not fall into ruin. It hadn't been easy with the stunt the twins had pulled, but he managed it. So now the little mech could be surrounded by all the bots that cared about him.

Bluestreak, Wheeljack, Cliffjumper, Blurr, Hound, Trailbreaker, Tracks, Inferno, Red Alert, Perceptor, Blaster, Silverbolt, Air Raid, and so many others that Bee had the biggest smile in the history of smiles on his faceplates. Every mech aboard the ship was here—well minus Sunny and Sides—and all of them poured attention over the little mech with games and gifts. Not to mention the giant cake that was topped with nine little candles that Ratchet had made for the youngling. That would come in a little while though. At the moment Bumblebee was sitting cross legged in the middle of a circle of bots opening presents that had been either made or found for the little mech. Hound and Trailbreaker had given the little youngling a strange item they'd found on their last recon mission on a distant planet. It was a large squishy sphere painted black and red that was used in a strange yet entertaining game the brothers had promised to teach Bee when he opened the present, squished the large toy to his chest, and smiled at the pair. Red Alert had made Bee a new puzzle block game for him to play. Silverbolt and Air Raid pitched in together to get him a new game chip for his data pad that Perceptor had updated for his gift. Bluestreak got him his own C-Ball staff which Ironhide wacked the mech over the head for, but Bee was giddy about finally having his own staff even if it toward over him. Perceptor promised he'd make adjustments so the youngling could play with it and not hurt himself. Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet had made Bee a fascinating little device that would show him any creature or place the youngling asked for. It was a small disk with a computer like screen and Bee absolutely adored it. Several other presents came his way and Bee loved them all until he came to the last brightly wrapped packaged that sat on the end of the table from him. It was bright yellow to match his paint with a bright blue ribbon sitting atop it. Wheeljack grinned with delight at the joy in Bee's optics at the sight of the package he'd worked so hard on.

Reaching for the large box the scientist pushed it to the youngling. Bee bounced with joy snatching up the bow twirling it around before placing it atop his head between his flicking antennas. The mechs laughed at the sight, a few snapping pictures as Bee went to tear into the package with the bow still stuck to his head. All went fine until all the paper came off leaving Bee quite confused standing in front of a big empty metal box. Jazz and Wheeljack went very still when Bee pushed himself up on his tip toes and peered into the empty container.

"Empty?" He glanced up at the inventor and the saboteur in confusion. They had said this one was from both of them. That they pitched in together to get it. Why was it empty?

"Uh yeah it is." Jazz reached for the box flipping it over and shaking it just to make sure the surprise wasn't in there.

"Why is it empty?" Wheeljack snatched the container staring at it in confusion.

"I don't know _you _wrapped it." Jazz placed his hands on his hips glaring at the wacky inventor. "Why is it empty, Jack?"

"You wrapped an empty box?" Prowl questioned in confusion.

"No!" Wheeljack snapped. "It was in there! I swear . . . I'm like ninety-two percent sure."

"Ninety-two percent?" Optimus tilted his head.

"Eighty-three." The suddenly nervous mech shrugged and went to looking around, even glancing under the table.

"Eighty-three?!" Jazz seethed.

Wheeljack popped back up giving the sliver mech another nervous chuckle.

"Make it sixty-five."

"Wheeljack!" The saboteur was about ready to strangle his friend. After all they'd done to get the youngling what they had and the stupid idiot went and lost it! They were both going to be so scraped! Prowl was gonna blast him off into space and let Perceptor turn Wheeljack into spear parts. Not to mention what Ironhide was going to do. He was gonna be mad in the first place when he found out what they got the youngling, but when he found out it was lose in the ship and that Bee was gonna want to look for it he was gonna be livid. Jazz could already picture all the ways the weapons specialist was going to twist him.

"What was in the box, Jazz?" Bluestreak questioned.

"Umm . . . ."

"Where it?" Bee blinked up at the mech in confusion.

"_What_ is it?" Ironhide's optics narrowed at the fear visibly climbing up Wheeljack's frame and the way Jazz looked about ready to blast him.

"Well ya see—" Wheeljack started only to be cut off when the cake down the table exploded sending purple frosting showering the room and everything in it with sticky sugary energon. Confused shouts and angry curses rang out as the mechs stumbled at the sudden action. Blasters were raised, cannons hummed to life, swords were drawn, and wrenches were suddenly grasped only for all of them to lower in shock as Bee let out a happy squeak at the sight of the rather large blue and silver robo-cat sitting at the end of the table where the cake had been licking the remains of the item off its paws. "Oh! That's where I left him!" Wheeljack shouted in glee.

"WHEELJACK!" The room exploded with mechs screaming at the inventor who back up raising his hands.

"Hey! Jazz was in on it too!"

"Jazz!" Ironhide swung around to the silver mech who backed up as well from the seething guardian when he saw what the two had gotten his charge. "_You_ got a _robo-cat_!?"

"No!" Jazz defended as if he'd been insulted. "_We_ got him a robo-cat."

"Yay!" Bumblebee hopped in glee before he hurried down the table earning every bots attention as he practically skipped to the robo-cat that now blinked at him in curiosity as the tiny mech came to a stop in front of the creature staring at the large feline like creature with joy filled optics. The Cybertron version of a house cat leaned down to sniff at the small mech sending him into a fit of giggles. This seemed to amuse the robo-cat which purred audibly in response before shoving its slick muzzle into the youngling's arms. Bee wrapped his arms around the large short muzzle laughing with utter happiness while he clung tightly and the robo-cat lifted him a few feet off the ground with another purr before placing him back down carefully. It was almost like the creature understood the little one was fragile and should be handled with care. It leaned forward giving the little mech a lick on the faceplate making him giggle again before it laid down wrapping its paws around Bee and curling it's long whip like tall around him seemingly to claim him as its own to hold and protect.

Bumblebee looked like he was on cloud nine.

"I think our gift has been upstaged, brother." The rather annoyed voice of Sunstreaker echoed around the silent room making every mech—even the robo-cat and Bumblebee—turn in shock to find the tall golden warrior leaning against the frame of the door with a raised optic ridge and a put out air rolling off of him. He'd been thrown in the brig, forced to relive his past, and upstaged by that nutty Wheeljack and Jazz nonetheless all in one orn. His anger was tangible at that point.

Sideswipe on the complete other end of the spectrum though was clutching his sides trying to keep from offlineing of laughing at the whole crazy mess of it all. He found it utterly hilarious. Leave it to Jazz to come up with this. The only part Sides found annoy was that they hadn't got him in on it. "Seems so!" The red mech snorted still trying catch his breath.

"How the Pit did you two get out here!?" Prowl was on the very edge of his sanity at the happenings of the last few klicks, his optics twitching like never before. That much even Bee had noticed. The sight of the twins—whom he had thrown in the brig not four breems ago—pushed him right up to the edge. It was even more unlikely than the robo-cat currently snuggling the youngling. His logic processor was whirling quickly into overdrive.

"Oh please," Sunstreaker waved the second-in-command off. "It's us, mech."

"We broke out." Sideswipe stood up straight finally getting ahold of himself as he gazed at the mech with a smirk. "Wasn't that hard."

Sunstreaker snorted. "You can't keep me somewhere I don't want to be, and for unknown fraggin' reasons I feel the need to be at Half Pints secret party. So here I am."

"I'll just admit it." Sides shrugged. "I wanted to be here."

"B-b-but how did you get out?" Prowl stuttered. The first sign he was about to glitch. Ratchet went to try and calm him down, but the twins glanced at each other with a devilish smirk before they answered beating the medic to his purpose.

"We snatched your code key." They grinned in unison as Sides broke into laughter and Sunny held up the black code key that his brother had swiped before Prowl shut them in the brig. Prowl grasped at his subspace pocket before realizing that his card was in fact gone. His optics sparked before his logic processor snapped and with a pop he glitched on the spot. With a crash the second-in-command of the Autobots hit the floor.

Hard.

Ratchet cursed at the twins.

Ironhide rolled his optics.

Jazz snorted in laughter at his friend.

Optimus sighed deeply praying to Primus for strength as he shook his head slowly.

Then there was Bee, who cheered with glee at the sight of his beloved twins. They had come to his spark-orn party! He was absolutely thrilled! Unable to imagine a better orn he smiled like he'd been given the best things in the universe, and as far as he was concurred he had.

It truly was the best spark-orn in the history of spark-orns.

He was quite sure that his family was the best in the universe.

* * *

**And I'm inclined to agree with him. **

**Well, there you have it. Chapter 3! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I do!**

**So please Read and Review! You already know how much I love to hear what you guys think. Especially about chapters that I adore!**

**On another note, **

**Risk, who is the robo-cat by the way, is my original character. I'm sure you all already knew that, and he is the first of many to make his entrance. Well besides the 'Watchers' but you guys already knew that. Who forgot about them? Ha, have no fear they will be back. Or many you should fear . . . they aren't really the best of news for Bumblebee. *Hint* *Hint***

**Anyway, I am dedicating this chapter, well really Risk, but either way I am dedicating it to the memory of my own cat Chevy who I had to put to sleep. Risk was kind of modeled after him and this chapter was written before he died so it was a little hard for me to edit which is why its a day late, but Risk is an important part of the story and I think I owe it to Chevy to keep his memory in the character and for Risk to serve his purpose for the story. These last few weeks have been kind of awful for me, not just from losing Chevy, a lot of horrible things have happened. You know how it is when it rains it pours, but fear not I will be fine. ****It's just kind of slowing down my writing. So I'm sorry the chapter was late it was just a little difficult to finally get to the part where Risk comes in and to know that I no longer have Chevy, but next week it should be up on Saturday like normal. **

**Thank you all for your continued support in the favorites and the reviews! Believe it or not they really are keeping this story going! And each and every one make me smile despite a bad day. So once again thank you. **

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**

**R.I.P Chevy**

**06/06/08 - 10/14/13**

**I'll miss you forever.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. **

**However, the plot and OCs are mine. So no touchy.**

**And so it begins.**

**Please Read and Review.**

* * *

Chapter 4

"Bubbles?"

"Check."

"A giant yellow rubber cyber-duck?"

"Check."

"Fluffy yellow wash rag?"

"Check."

"Bathtub full of warm cleaning fluid?"

"Check."

"Annoying, hissing, stupid idiotic robo-cat crouched in the corner?"

"Check."

"Youngling in need of a bath?"

"Che— Wait where did he go?" Sideswipe dropped the squeaky duck in the bubble filled fluid glancing around frantically for the youngling he and his brother were supposed to be cleaning.

"Damn it Sides!" Sunstreaker pushed himself away from the tub looking around the small washroom. "We're locked in the fraggin' showers! How did you lose him in here?"

"Crafty little glitch!" Sideswipe mumbled as he started throwing towels around the small closed off section of the showers where Ratchet had set up a tiny tub that could be used to bathe Bumblebee. "First time we get to watch him again in ten orns and I lose! What the frag?!"

"If you and Jazz hadn't got him covered in adhesive this wouldn't be happening!"

"Hey, no bot asked you."

"I had no part in this why the frag do I have to help you clean him!?"

"Because Jazz is in the med-bay trying to pick broken glass out of his frame!"

"You two and your damn pranks."

"You love 'em too you idiot! Admit it!"

"I will do no such thing!"

Bee poked his tiny yellow head up from behind Risk's two-tone frame trying to stop his giggles as the twins threw towels at each other trying to find him. The long, slender, sleek silver and blue robo-cat with glowing blue and silver spots covering almost all of his frame crouched lower to the floor so his master, whom he was so protective over, could huddle even further against him to watch the other mechs. His flicking spiked tail curled up to his frame as his tall, pointed, blue audio receptors folded down to his head when a towel bounced off his short muzzle. The robo-cat hissed wickedly making the twins finally stop throwing stuff at each other long enough to notice the little yellow antennas sticking up from behind the hissing feline.

They both groaned.

"Told ya we should have left him out in the hall." Sides sighed.

"Oh yeah," Sunny snorted. "You want to try and get the glitch away from Bee? He's been attached to his hip ever since he jumped out of the cake."

"Hide really needs to murder Wheeljack and Jazz for this." Sideswipe said lifting an optics ridge.

"I'll hold them down." Sun agreed.

"No!" Bee jumped up from behind Risk to dispute the statement only to realize to late it was a trick. Sides laughed springing forward to snatch the youngling up away from the robo-cat that hissed louder slicing its razor sharp claws at the red mech who plucked his master away from him. "Hey! Don't want bath!"

"To bad." Sunstreaker huffed. With a hiss of his own he kick away the snarling feline that paced the wall when the youngling was taken from him. "We're not gonna hurt him you glitchy fragger! Calm your aft down!"

"Will you stop cursing!?" Sides scolded as he dropped a wiggling Bumblebee into the warm fluid and began scrubbing him with the rag. Once Bee was in the bath he knew it was foolish to fight back against the massive red warrior who had put him there so he quit struggling to get away. Instead he reached for his squeaky duck pushing it around the pillows of bubbles while Sides began to scrub the layers of adhesive that were caked on his arms away as Sunny had a hissing contest with Bee's new pet.

When Sides had decided to employ the tiny mech in his little game of pay-back-on-Prowl-for-locking-the-twins-in-the-bri g-instead-of-letting-them-go-to-Bee's-party he hadn't planed on the fact that the youngling was going to think that super adhesive appeared to be fun. It had somehow though, and while Sideswipe and Jazz were busy trying to glue every data pad in Prowl's office to his ceiling and make them play show tunes on repeat they hadn't noticed until too late that Bee, who employed Risk in his adventure, had dumped the whole barrel of the stuff off Prowl's desk and onto himself along with the floor. How the tiny yellow mech managed that Sides still hadn't really figured out, but Bee did, and than he processed to think it was the most fun thing he'd come up with since he got Risk and started painting himself with it. Of course by then Jazz and Sides noticed causing Jazz to panic at the sight of Bee covered in super adhesive and very idea of explaining that to Ironhide and Optimus. That caused the silver saboteur to fall out of the chair he'd been standing in and crash into Prowl's desk covered in computer screens ending up with glass stabbed into pretty much every nook and cranny a mech had.

Unfortunately.

However, Bumblebee had thought that was pretty funny too.

But with a youngling sticking himself to the floor, Jazz a walking disco ball, and Prowl's office pretty much destroyed Side's prank was kind of a bust. He was a little disappointed about it, but he had managed to hide the fact that he had allowed Bee to cover himself in super adhesive and no mech besides him and Jazz knew that Bee had even been at ground zero of Sideswipe's latest mess, well besides Sunny, but he always knew what foolish thing Sideswipe did now. So Sides had been saved from that lecture from Prowl and Prime, now he just had to get the youngling clean before he and Sunny had to take him back to Optimus because the red warrior and Jazz were going to have to go on double shift tonight in punishment for the wreck they had made of Prowl's office.

And of course the red twin called upon his golden brother to help clean up the hidden, covered in adhesive, youngling before he got caught on that as well.

Not something Sunstreaker was all that happy about, but like always he did anything his little brother needed even if he complained for most of it.

"This is your slagging fault you glitch!" Sunny growled at his brother. "And you! Get the Pit away from me you vile little pest!" He tossed another towel at Risk who snarled before letting out another annoyed hiss as he paced across the washroom.

"Sunstreaker, knock it off!" Sides pleaded as he scrubbed a giggling Bumblebee.

"I'll stop cursing when this glitch learns his place!"

"If you hurt that robo-cat Half Pint is gonna cry and Optimus is gonna feed you to Prowl."

"Prowler doesn't scare me." Sunstreaker huffed.

"Nothing scare Sunny!" Bee's enthusiastic little chirp rang out from where he was buried in the billowing bubbles.

"You are correct, Half Pint!" Sunstreaker laughed with a firm nod to Bumblebee as he joined his brother at the tub side. Sideswipe—never one to be upstaged—dunked the tiny yellow mech earning him a gurgling little protest. Once Bee gasped air again he glared up at the tall red mech who only shrugged with a smirk.

"And what about me?" Sides raised an optic ridge.

Bee rolled his bright optics before giving in. "Sides scared of nothin' too."

"That's right." He beamed. "Now hold still so we can get you clean. My filthy little Bumblebee."

* * *

Several breems of splashing and hissing later found Bumblebee wrapped up tight in a fluffy yellow blanket sitting in Sideswipe's lap in the rec room watching a fascinating TV show about organic creatures called honeybees. He giggled in delight every time the deep monotone voice of the show said 'bee' and clutched his fluffy toy, that he realized looked just like one of those honeybees on the screen, to his tiny chest. At the opposite end of the couch sat a rather annoyed Risk keeping a careful optic on Bee as he glared death threats to the red warrior that had possession of his master. The youngling knew that his much loved new pet didn't like his caretakers and that his twin caretakers didn't really like his new pet, but he made them at least try to act civilized toward each other.

It was working . . . sort of.

For the most part he was ignoring the daggers the twins and the robo-cat kept glaring back and forth to one another. He was sure they wouldn't try and hurt the other so he figured he could trust them to not try and offline each other while he was busy watching honeybees. He was enjoying the show far too much to worry about the issue anyway, and he watched with utter fascination as the small buzzing creatures danced in the air between bright color things called flowers. He'd never seen anything like it, but he was in love with whatever planet it was that they were from.

"Sides?" Bee questioned not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Sup, Half Pint?" The red mech answered wrapping his arm around the little youngling that sat in his lap rocking back and forth in his fluffy yellow blanket.

"Where are those?" Bumblebee pointed to the screen.

"I'm not sure." Sides admitted having realized he hadn't really been paying attention to the program he'd found to entertain Bee before he had to take him back to Optimus. Well at least he was paying more attention than his brother who was snoring next to him on the couch with his head unknowing resting on the red twin's shoulder. "Prowl would know though, or maybe . . . ." Sides turned from the TV glancing around the rec room. Cliffjumper and Blaster were across the room at the C-Ball tables knocking large stone balls back and forth with their sleek playing sticks. Blaster was mid-strike of the highest point ball into a pocket when Sides spoke up knocking him out of his concentration making him miss the shot. "Hey Blast!"

The ball slammed just short of the pocket before it rolled to a stop.

Blaster practically growled at the sight of his missed shot while Cliffjumper snorted his victory.

"And that's the game, Blasty." Cliff said. "You owe me seventy credits, _dear_ friend."

"I'm gonna scrap you Sideswipe!" Blaster swore turning toward the red twin.

"Where are honeybees from?" Sides asked ignoring the threat.

"What in Pit is a honeybee?" Blaster threw his playing stick onto the round, black, table only to increase his glare.

"No bot watchin'?" Bee questioned, insulted that no one else found the show as wonderful as he did.

"I don't give a frag about your annoying organic program, Bumblebee." Blaster fumed taking his anger out on Bee.

"Stop being such a sore loser, Blast." Cliffjumper nudged him in the arm. "Bee didn't do anything."

"I swear if he wasn't in your lap I'd slug you." Blaster just went right on glaring at Sideswipe.

"Sure you would." Sides chuckled grinning over the back of the couch as Bee blinked around at all of them.

What had he done now? And why wouldn't anybot tell him where honeybees were from?

"Sides," The little mech poked his caretaker in the midsection. "Where honeybees? Want one. Can I have one?"

"Why do you want one?" Cliffjumper, abounding the game he'd won, strolled over to the couch and plopped down between Sideswipe and Risk. The two tone robo-cat didn't mind the short red bot so he did nothing but twitch his tail back and forth ever so slightly. "You're like twenty times cuter than those things."

Bee broke into a broad grin.

"Yeah, like his ego needs to get any bigger." Blaster rolled his optics as he stomped out of the rec room leaving Bee blinking in confusion in his wake.

"I do something?" He asked nervously.

"Nah," Cliff reassured the tiny bundle turning up the program so he'd get distracted. "Blast is just a really sore loser and he's been of shift all orn so he's kind of tired."

"He's worse than Sunny when he loses." Sides laughed. His brother snorted in his sleep making every bot chuckle as they relaxed against the soft couch watching the tiny yellow forms dance around colorful plants.

* * *

Bee sat to the side of Optimus's desk as the busy commander typed away at his reports humming quietly to himself. The little youngling was leaning against Risk's side as he stuck his small palm into the bucket of yellow paint that the robo-cat had his tail wrapped around. Squishing his fingers around in the sticky liquid Bee smiled as he placed his hand flat against the paper having the time of his life as he tried to make the smudges of yellow, black, blue, and purple he'd managed to pretty much cover himself and the floor around him in look like the organics he'd seen on the TV the night before. Hide was on shift again, with the twins this time, so Bee was getting to spend the orn with his Optimus again. Even if he was pretty sure Optimus had forgotten he was down there.

Bee didn't mind though.

He was too busy trying to make honeybees.

With a quiet giggle he leaned away from his paper again looking down at the splattered paint everywhere very proud of the image he'd come up with. There were four giant yellow blobs around the masterpiece with black smeared in here and there where he tired to give them stripes and antennas. The eyes he'd gotten closer with smudges of blue though his attempt at flowers he was the most proud of. The whole paper was covered in purple and blue where he'd tried to recreate the pretty plants that the monotone voice had called flowers. He was almost positive he'd made them look just like they were suppose to by mixing the blue in with the purple every now and again. He was also pretty sure that he and Risk had more paint on them than the paper did, not to mention how much he'd gotten on the floor, but Bee figured that if he should have quit than Optimus would have told him too. Then again Optimus hadn't looked up since he'd sat down behind his ten computer screens and started typing. Bee wasn't sure what he was doing, kind of figured he wouldn't understand if he asked, but still he had finished his picture and he wanted Optimus to see.

Twisting to look up at the desk that towered over him and the mech that wasn't paying him any attention he pouted. Tilting his little head Bee cast a glance over to Risk. The bright robo-cat blinked before he leaned forward to nudge Bumblebee toward the desk causing Bee reached for the wildfire like bond he and the robo-cat now shared. It was one of the reasons he loved the pet so much. The feral spark that burned so bright and welcomed Bee in like they were family fascinated the youngling. He wasn't sure if his family knew that he and Risk could call to each other like Bee could call to his caretakers. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be able to.

He could though.

He understood Risk like the feline like creature could speak just the same as any other bots around him, but at the same time it was different. Bee and Risk communicated in a more primitive way. Bee didn't need spoke words with his robo-cat. They spoke with their sparks.

_"Up." _Risk never spoke in full sentences, and Bee wasn't sure if he could. Most of the time they communicated though feelings and jesters, only every once in a while did the robo-cat try for words, and when he did it was broken and seemingly forced. Bumblebee didn't really think that his language came easy to the robo-cat.

Bee glanced back and forth between the desk and his pet. _"He's busy."_

_"And?"_

_"Oh fine." _ Bee pushed himself up to his feet putting his picture behind his back as he peaked around the bottom of Optimus's desk. The mech was typing away as reports and words flashed across the multiple screens before him. Bee could feel how focus and stressed the commander was. The youngling was afraid of disturbing him with his little painting, but with the quiet hiss behind him Bee step on out. "Optimus?"

The commander hummed in response not looking up.

"Look." Bee produced the painting from behind his back offering it up to his present caretaker as if he was baring his soul for the universe to see. Optimus twisted in his office chair only half out of inner musing about the disturbing reports he and Magnus were messaging back and forth to each other at the moment, but the sight he found behind him defiantly snapped him into the present.

Bee grinned at the shock that registered in Optimus's optics as he stared down at the small youngling. Waving his painting in front of him it didn't even accrue to Bee that he was dripping in about four different colors of paint. Not that it bothered the youngling. Messy was half the fun of it.

"Honeybees!" Bee explained with glee. Optimus's optics softened to amusement as he chuckled quietly shaking his head. Leaning down he plucked his beloved—multiple shades of paint covered—Bumblebee from the floor bringing him up to rest in his lap. Bee smiled as he snuggled into Optimus's strong mid-section while the commander took the vibrant mess of splashes and youngling finger smudges to examine it.

"Yes, Bumblebee." Optimus praised. "And they are very pretty honeybees. Is this what has had you so quiet down there?"

"Yep!" Bee nodded quickly. Glancing away only a moment he pulled at Risk's spark asking him to come. He was granted a soft purr like vibration that silently rumbled between their bond before the robo-cat sprang up over the edge of Optimus's massive desk. The sight of the paint covered robo-cat didn't really surprise the Autobot leader at that point. He was just amused that the finicky, almost proud, feline like creature would allow himself to be splattered with paint. Though the leader had learned the last few orns that Risk had become Bee's new self-proclaimed protector, yielding to only Ironhide and Optimus himself. Every other bot on the ship was fair game to the razor like claws the four legged mech wielded when they tried to get between the pet and his new master. His long glittering grey fang-plates that poke out from under his short yet thick mussel were also well used weapons against any that crossed the robo-cat. His twitching wires along his nose plate that served as sort of whiskers were dripping in blue paint and his long pointed ear like audio-processors were splattered with yellow dots. Mostly though it was his two-tone blue spotted chassis that bared the most of the paint.

Optimus was almost positive he didn't want to know what his office floor looked like if even the robo-cat had that much paint on him.

"Risk helped." Bee said.

"I can see that." Optimus nodded. Turning his attention back to the art in his hand he was amused at how proud Bumblebee seemed of his work. "It's a very nice picture, Bumblebee."

"Saw on TV! Like it?"

"I do."

"Think Hide like it?"

"I'm sure he will."

"Prowl?"

Optimus raised an optic ridge tilting his head. "Prowl?"

"Wanna give to him." Bee nodded before a kind of nervous laugh left him as he shrugged his splattered shoulders. "I wanna say sorry."

"For what?"

"'Cuz. Helped Sides and Jazz prank him."

"You did what?"

"Sides and Jazz prank him, 'member? I helped." He admitted.

"You did?" Optimus had to hide his smile as the youngling fidgeted in his lap.

"Yeah," Bee nodded. "So thought maybe if painted him some honeybees he not be mad at me anymore."

"I doubt he is angry with you, Bumblebee." Optimus assured him. Risk let out a mew of agreement as he plopped down on the neat desk swishing his long tail back and forth. "See even Risk agrees."

"Still wanna give to him." Bee said. "Take me?"

Optimus glanced at the unfinished message on his screen before his optics returned to the youngling who gazed up at him with pleading optics.

He sighed.

How could he deny this creature anything?

He just didn't have the strength in his spark.

"Alright, Bumblebee." Optimus agreed. "Let's go find Prowl."

* * *

"What in the name of Primus did you do to yourself, Youngling?" Prowl almost dropped the data pad he was typing on when Risk sprang onto his desk with a paint covered youngling sitting on his back as Optimus chuckled in the doorway.

"Made you a picture!" Bee explained gleefully as he produced his masterpiece. Risk lowered himself to the desk so Bee could slide off his back and watched with careful optics as the youngling hurried across the once again perfectly spotless desk offering his drawing to Prowl. The all seriousness all the time white and black mech couldn't help his smile as he took the paper looking down at the smudges making them out to be the little earth creatures called honeybees. Once he had assessed his gift Prowl looked down to Bee who stood rocking back and forth on his little feet his hands clasp behind his back as he grinned up at the mech with a smile that could melt even the sparkless Megatron into a pile of goo.

"It is a wonderful gift, Youngling." Prowl nodded his thanks attaching the paper to the top of his desk over to the side where he could see it and yet it would not get in his way. "Thank you very much, but I must ask why am I getting it?"

"Wanted to say sorry." Bumblebee suddenly found the spotless desk beneath his dirty feet very interesting as he twisted a purple splattered toe around the surface. "Didn't mean to make mad by helping Sides and Jazzy. They said would be funny. I thought was funny, but you not think it was funny. Really, _really_, sorry. I won't do it again. I promise!"

Prowl sighed heavily at the pitiful little form before him only to glance to the mighty Prime in his office doorway that watched the youngling with such love it was tangible. Prowl had tried to keep his distance from the illogical attachment that would be befriending the youngling at first, in the end though he had failed miserably. The mech was very aware just how easily the little ones life could be snuffed out and the thought made the well seasoned warrior shiver. He didn't want to think about a life without Bumblebee. The youngling had become too important to every spark on _Artemis 1 _for the bots to ever go on without him.

"I am not angry with you, Bumblebee." Prowl said gently.

Bee's little head shot up his tiny antennas flicking with excitement.

"Really?"

"Really, Youngling." Prowl nodded running a careful digit over his head. Bee practically purred leaning into the touch of the mech that he didn't think he got to see enough. Prowl was always working. Always busy. And it always seemed to Bee that he would just be in the mech's way. So he tried to avoid being a nuance by just keeping his distance. That didn't mean he didn't like the serious bot though. Quite the opposite actually, he really liked Prowl.

"I told you he wasn't mad, Bumblebee." Optimus chuckled as he walked forward to sit in one of the chair across from Prowl's desk. The youngling only smiled between them before Risk let out a huff leaping from the tall metal desk and curling at the Prime's feet. The robo-cat didn't like being the center of attention and Optimus knew that the feline mech trusted him to take care of the master he was so protective over.

"I know," Bee nodded. "And Optimus always right."

The Prime laughed at the words. "Now I wouldn't say _always_."

"But you are." Bee tilted his tiny head his antennas flicking. "You always right."

"No bot is always right, Youngling." Prowl corrected him.

"Opt is!" Bee's voice slipped back to a much younger vocabulary something that often happened when he was getting tired or upset. In this instant the two mechs knew that it was portably both with the orn coming to a close.

"Well I'm flattered you feel that way, Bumblebee." Optimus relented taking the little mech into his hand and bringing him to rest against the thudding of his spark. Bee snuggled happily up against the leader's chest as he buried his head trying to hide his yawn. "I truly am."

Prowl watched the pair with a small smile for a moment, enjoying the simple sight of his friend so at ease. He was about to return to his unfinished shift schedule for the next few orns when the beeping of a communicator halted his actions. He glanced up as Optimus tensed in confusion as he reached his free hand up to touch the side of his head answering the comm link.

**"Prime here."**

**"Prime? It's Magnus."**

Optimus went on high alert his memory flashing back to the disturbing words that had been sent from this mech earlier. **"What is wrong, Magnus?"**

**"There is something you desperately need to hear, old friend."**Magnus answered, the tense worry evident in his voice. **"And you're not going to like it."**

* * *

The large meeting room was silent as the grave as the recording finished playing, but the air in the room was burning with so much anger in the sparks of the bots that sat around the massive table that Bee twisted in his sleep his little spark unconsciously reaching for the spark of his guardian who tightened his hold on the youngling that slept in his protective grip. The robo-cat who at first the massive black mech hadn't liked, but had proved his undying loyalty to his charge, paced angrily at Ironhide's feet as the creature sensed something was wrong and somehow had reasoned that it had something to do with his beloved master. Ironhide didn't bother to cast the robo-cat a reassuring glance. He was to fraggin' angry for it to do any good.

"So does this mean that glitch knows he's here?" Sunstreaker bit out his hands curling into fist as he fought with his fight response. He was currently imagining just how many ways he could brutally murder that pit spawned Shockwave while his only slightly more in control brother rested a hand on his shoulder trying to remind him via there sibling bond that the youngling was recharging a few chairs down.

"That has yet to be learned." Prowl answered, careful to try and keep the anger out of his voice. The intercepted message between a Decepticon scout, that Magnus's crew had captured, and Megatron describing an Autobot secret that the Decepticon Lord must know about at once had them all one edge. The scout had been smart enough to not name just what he'd learned only saying that Shockwave had sent him to investigate whatever it was. A couple of Magnus's frontlines had wound up offlineing the scout while they were trying to take him alive so no further questions could be asked. All Magnus's medic on medic, Quickfire, and his borrowed one, First Aid, could retrieve was the scout's last report back to base.

"Well we need to be finding out don't you think?" Ironhide ground out quietly trying to keep his angry spark from waking his youngling whom he refused to put down even if he was in desperate need of bath with paint splattered all over his frame.

"What's to be done, Prime?" Ratchet questioned darkly.

"We've been dancing around this for long enough." Optimus leaned back in his chair tapping a nervous finger on the table before him. "It's time we found out just what Megatron knows."

"In doing that we might be spilling our own secret." Prowl warned.

"If we do nothing we'll be blindsided." Jazz argued.

"And how do you suggest we go about finding out what the Decepticon Lord knows about the youngling, Jazz?" Prowl asked in curiosity.

"Let me go." Jazz turned his light optics to Optimus as he pushed himself to his feet leaning against the table. "Let me sneak in and find out."

"We're in!" Sideswipe and Sunstreaker spoke up in unison. They weren't about to sit around and wonder when the Decepticons were going to come and try to take their Half Pint. If Megatron was up to something they were going to find out what it was and make sure it blew up in his ugly faceplate.

Optimus glanced between his loyal warriors and one of his oldest friends knowing that the bots were very serious about what they were offering to do. Knowing that it was probably going to have to be done. Yet he also knew the dangers of sending the trio to try and find his older brother's hidden base and whatever he might be planning inside it.

Nodding slowly with a feeling that he was going to hate himself for it for a long time to come Optimus agreed. "Very well, but this is to be a stealth mission. There will be no shooting missiles at Megatron the nano-klick you find him." His gaze narrowed at the twins who rolled their optics, but nodded nonetheless. "Get in. Find out what he knows. Then get out and get your afts back here. I don't know how you'll go about doing it, Soundwave will probably be the best place to start, but find out if he knows about Bumblebee. Find out if that idiot Skywarp and that merciless Shockwave told Megatron about him. If they did, if he knows, find out what he's planning to do. If he knows nothing than get out without getting caught and don't blow anything up on the way out. We don't need him having any more reasons to storm this ship."

"With all do respect, Prime." Sideswipe started.

"If it is a threat to Half Pint then we will blow it up." Sunstreaker finished.

"We don't know what we're up against yet." Optimus held the twins in a stern glare. "I could be letting you walk into a trap."

"We can handle it, Optimus." Jazz assured his friend with his trademark smirk. "That fool won't know who punked him."

"It's for Bee." Sides held his leaders gaze. "We're not going to mess up."

"Something tells me we're going to regret this." Ratchet leaned heavily on the table his optics glancing from the volunteers, to Prime, and finally to the youngling deep in recharge in his guardians tight hold. Ironhide had yet to voice an opinion on the matter and Prowl was very obviously mentally running the odds the trio had.

"If it is a trick we could be conforming to him that we are hiding something." Ironhide put in. "Not to mention the fact that you three just might get your stupid afts offlined."

"Well now," Sideswipe leaned around his brother to smirk at Ironhide. "Would that be compassion, maybe, dare I say it, worry in your voice, Ironhide? For the likes of us?"

The black mech narrowed his optics, but could do nothing to truly hurt the warrior with Bee recharging in his arms. So he cast his gaze over to Ratchet.

"Would you mind?"

The medic grinned. "Not one bit." A loud clang followed that, but surprisingly didn't wake the youngling as he snuggled into Ironhide while Sides yelped in protest when the wrench bounced off his head.

"Oww what the Pit was that for?!"

"Because you don't know when to shut you damn vocal processor off." Sunny rolled his optics.

"It had absolutely nothing to do with worry about the likes of the three of you." Ironhide ground out carefully even if every mech in the room knew he was lying. "It's Bee I'm worried about."

The three volunteers went very still at that.

"He's lost enough already." Ironhide's optics drifted down to the tiny little mech curled up in the crook of his arm. "He doesn't need to lose anymore. And to be quite honest I don't want to have to explain to him why one or all of you didn't come back. He cares too much about you all to take it very well."

"Ironhide," Jazz spoke carefully his optics dancing around to more than just his lifelong friend. "This is hardly our first stealth mission. We'll be fine."

"No," Prowl crossed his arms over his chest. "You will be angry, and anger clouds judgment. Which in my opinion is what is happening right now. There are many secrets we hide that a scout would think his Lord should know. We have no proof it has anything to do with Bumblebee."

"I think we can handle it." Sunstreaker huffed. "Besides whether it is Half Pint the scout was talking about or not we still need to know just what that fool has been up too. He's been a little too quiet for my taste lately."

"If it were up to your taste there would never be an orn some bot wasn't in my med bay." Ratchet pointed out.

"So we fight?" Sideswipe shrugged. "It's what we do."

"Always has been." Sunstreaker added with a dark tone that, since his past was now common knowledge in this room, didn't go unnoticed.

"Always will be." Sides finished.

"Look," Jazz spoke up before the medic and the twins could start at each other again. "I'll keep these two in line and online. We'll find out what is going on and then will be back. Lil' Bee won't even know we left."

"Just be careful." Optimus warned with the implied threat of there being Pit to pay if they weren't. He wasn't found of losing any of his soldiers, but especially not any of these three.

Sides saluted with a laugh. "Got it boss bot, you can count on us."

* * *

Jazz dropped down from his hiding place over the arched grey steel door into a silent crouch, his dimed blue optics flashing down each end of the hall in wary. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker dropped down behind him as he pushed himself to his feet springing to the large key code box to the right of the door as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker hung back to his left the red mech's dual blades drawn out at the ready as he stared down one way the golden twin with his own blades drawn did the same to Jazz's right.

The short silver saboteur hissed quietly to himself as he tried a few number sets in the code lock coming up with nothing.

**"We haven't got all orn, Jazz." **Sunstreaker warned through comm link his frame quivering with adrenaline. His radar was on high alert as the dark, eerie, base swarmed with red optics that belonged to bots that would love to take each of them apart. The golden mech didn't fear the 'Cons that milled around oblivious to the spies that had snuck into Nemesis with ease. The murky blackness of twisting labyrinths of tunnels and underground caves that was the entrance to the Decepticon base hadn't been that hard for the trio to sneak their way into. They simply followed some idiotic drone until they found the hidden room they'd been looking for.

All they needed now was for Jazz to figure out how to get Soundwave's lab open.

**"Mute it!" **Jazz snapped shooting a glare before he turned his attention back to the code. _Come on Jazz think!_ The ninja chanted to himself. _It's just a code lock. Focus! _

Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep.

Nothing.

_Slag._

Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep.

Zilch.

_Frag! _

Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep.

Door still closed.

_Pit, fraggin', idiot door!_

**"Not tryin' to rush ya mech, but come on!" **Sides rushed as a dot appeared on his radar. **"We got incoming!"**

Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep.

Swish!

**"Yes!" **Jazz fist pumped the air before he grabbed both mechs by the scruff bar yanking them into the dark lab. Only to stumble to a stop at what he found on the other side.

He gasped once trying to catch a breath, but it wouldn't come.

Sides and Sunny sucked in a terrified gasp as he released them and their optics found the image blinking on the screen before them. None of the rest of the freak show of a lab even processed to the trio as they stared in horror at the sight.

"Bee?" Sides whispered to the picture of his adorable little Half Pint that shown very clearly on one of Shockwave's monitors. The little youngling was laughing, playing with his stuffed bee, and appeared to be toddling his way down a hallway somewhere on the Autobot ship.

"Frag!" Sunstreaker hissed under his breath his fist clenching and starting to shake as it sank in.

They knew.

They fraggin' knew!

Jazz's hands clenched into fist trying to rein in his anger as he stared at the screen before him. Every program in him wanted to race out of the room, find that Pit-spawned Megatron, and tear his fraggin' optics out for daring to even _think_ he could see his Lil' Bee.

However, he couldn't.

Prowl's warning echoed in his audio processors making him shake his head clear. Attacking the Decepticon Lord was not the wises path to take. He had to get back to Prime with this information. Megatron could wait.

Grabbing a few data pads that were laying around Shockwave's cluttered lab he hissed to the twins.

"Grab anything that might tell us what they're planning. We're getting out of here!"

The twins didn't budge for a moment, both trying to get a grip on their own anger roaring like an inferno in their sparks, but they finally took a shared breath and starting grabbing. Stuffed subspaces and a few nano-kliks later the three slipped back out of Shockwave's lab vanishing back into the shadows of the halls of Nemesis heading back the way they came. Nothing got in the trios way as they followed their own hidden signatures to find their way out of the twisting maze that was Megatron's fortress. All three were too focused on getting home and finding a way to keep Bee safe that it didn't even register to any of them to wonder if that had all been far too easy.

* * *

Harsh red optics glowing with centuries of anger and hate, dark with deeds that most would shutter to even think about, were almost joyful as a towering grey mech leaned back in his metal thrown in the center of his hall bathed in darkness.

"They took the bait, my Lord." A mechanical, almost static like, voice rose up from the blackness as the stealthy silver mech stepped to his master's side his calculating red optics never meeting the commander.

"You have done well, Soundwave." Megatron's dark voice almost chuckled as he shifted in his jagged metal throne. A tiny flickering data chip in his hand displayed the very image he'd planted. Deceiver, the fallen scout, had done his job well. The foolish soldiers of his little brother came rushing in just as Soundwave predicted. Sneaking in and heading straight for the strange mech's lab they found the very thing they feared above all else. That precious little youngling of theirs flashing on the screen.

"Thank you, my Lord." Soundwave bowed slightly as he watched his master stare down at the image he had captured of the tiny mech. It spiked the bots curiosity, but he knew better than to question his lord. He was not as foolish as that power hungry Starscream, nor was he vile enough to think that he could somehow overthrow the Decepticon lord with 'logic'. Shockwave would pay for his foolishness one orn along with Starscream.

Soundwave was certain of that.

And Soundwave was never wrong.

However, even Soundwave had to speak about this.

"Though my lord. Not to question your judgment, but if you plan to follow the course of action you are currently taking I'm not certain it will be worth the cost."

"It will be worth it." Megatron assured his trusted right hand.

"The little mech will be a drain on resources. He will not be worth the trouble it will be to keep him alive. Not to mention the trouble of re-youngling knapping him."

Megatron chuckled darkly. "Ah that is where you are wrong my loyal Soundwave."

"My Lord?"

"He _will _be worth it."

Soundwave still wasn't completely sure what his dark master had planned, but he knew in the end it would not be for nothing. "It is not my place to question. I will return to my lab to see what Ravage and Laserbeak have learned."

However, Megatron spoke up stopping the Communications Officer.

"My brother truly is a fool." He snorted. "To get close to a creature so fragile and defenseless. Pathetic. But fret not," He smiled harshly to the image. "I have plans for the youngling. With him I could reach out and break Prime whenever I wanted. Though that would never do. No. Offlineing the runt would only make him a martyr to my _dear _little brother. What I've got planed for that tiny mech is much grander than that. He will be my _greatest _victory. I'll take Prime's precious hope and I'll tint it until all that he can recognize is the shell of what he once treasured! No, Soundwave, what I have planned for that youngling will be well worth the cost it will take to acquire and keep him. That much I assure you."

"The idea amongst the ranks will make your plan difficult to complete and keep the runt alive."

Megatron chuckled. "Oh fear not, Soundwave. Shockwave and Starscream will pay for keeping their little secret and they will watch in agony as their plan fails."

The emotionless officer snorted, his faceplate showing the tiniest hint of a smile even if it was for the briefest of nano-klicks as he nodded. Turning away from his master he spoke over his shoulder disappearing into the shadows. "This shall be quite entertaining to watch."

Snapping the picture screen shut Megatron curled his fist tight around it his harsh red optics glittering with vengeance. "Quite entertaining indeed."

* * *

***Dramatic music fades out***

**Dun, Dun, Duuuuuuuunnn!**

**I've been waiting one whole story and four chapters for this moment! And here it is!**

**Hopefully I didn't destroy Soundwave and Megatron too much. Evil beyond comprehension is kind of difficult to write. Yet it was surprisingly fun. Who knew? Then there is Soundwave . . . he actually talks kind of a lot in my story . . . he just does. Roll with it.**

**Oh, and who else thought Bee was adorable in this chapter? Than again I might be a little bias. **

**Anyway,**

**What did you think? A _whole_ lot happens in chapter 4. It was originally two because so much goes on, but I realized that split up they were just two short. So I combined them, and I think I like it better this way. Hope you guys do too.**

**Thanks again for the reviews, though I'll admit I was a little disappointed that there wasn't that much feedback on the last chapter. It was one of my favorites and it received the least reviews. No worries though, I'm just happy you guys are sticking with me. . . hopefully. **

**Because . . . .**

**The nasty truth has come out. Megatron knows about Bumblebee, the Autobots have fallen for his trap, and his evil plan is now in motion. Will he take our beloved Autobots' youngling? What did he mean when he said Shockwave and Starscream will pay for their secret? And what will become of Bee in the mix of all the chaos? **

**Well you're gonna have to stick around to find out.**

**The real action begins now. The past is about to come back and bite our valiant Autobots in the aft. Hard. Not to mention the truth is closing in on little Bumblebee and I seriously doubt even Ironhide and Optimus are going to be able to keep it at bay for much longer. **

**Until next time, please review it makes me write faster.**

**Chat with ya later.**

**-Jay**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. Not me.**

**However, the plot and OCs of this story are mine. So no touchy.**

**Please Read and Review!**

**Thanks to those of you that do! :)**

**Oh and I finally figured out what to call this series! So that's why the title is slightly different. Hope that doesn't mess anyone up. Sorry if it does. **

* * *

Chapter 5

Bumblebee curled his tiny frame in on himself as he snuggled deeper into the fortress of fuzziness that was his berth. He could feel the anxiety rolling off his guardian in waves as the massive black mech sat in his berth with his head in his hands, elbows resting on his kneeplates. Bee knew that his guardian thought he was in recharge, he knew that he should be, but the youngling just couldn't.

He was too worried about what was wrong with his Hide.

Too worried about what was wrong with the whole ship.

Risk was curled protectively around the little yellow mech trying with soft purrs and nuzzles to get Bumblebee to fall into recharge, but at that point of the night even the robo-cat knew that the youngling wasn't about too. So the creature settled for protectively snuggling his tiny master as the little mech shuffled around in the safety of his many blankets.

Peeking out from under his fluffy red blanket Bee clutched Buzz to his chest as he watched Ironhide run tired, nervous hands over his faceplate as he sighed deeply.

Something was very wrong.

What it was, Bee hadn't figured out yet, but he was trying. The last few orns had been a whole new level of strange of the youngling, and he didn't like it. For one, Sunny, Sides, and Jazzy had vanished about twelve orns ago for seven breems and then showed back up with so much anger and panic flowing from their sparks that Bee had felt them coming for a breem ahead of time. He hadn't understood what he was feeling, and when he voiced his confusion the utter shock that Optimus had stared at him with unnerved the youngling more than anything else that was happening around him. After that the ship had exploded into a mass of emotions that left Bee clutching to Risk, or Ironhide, or both as everything in the youngling's well loved world seemed to be tilted up on its side and shaken around.

Shifts had tripled, guard duties had gone mad with up to six bots at one post at a time, and then there was the fact that Magnus and Hot Rod had sent support troops to the ship. There were so many new bots running around his home that Bee didn't know what to make of any of it. However, what was most upsetting to Bee was his normal caretakers hardly caught a glimpse of him anymore.

And Bee hated it with every bit of his spark.

The most he seemed to see of Hide was about two klicks before he was put to recharge. He hadn't seen Jazzy or the twins in two orns. Ratchet and Prowl were too busy yelling at each other and running around in circles to even notice him apart from a few worried glances even now and again. Then there was Optimus, who had taken on this silent anger, anxiety, and franticness mix of swirling emotions that were billowing from him. He was trying to keep it walled off from every bot, but Bee could feel it.

Just like he could feel everything else they were trying to keep from him.

Something was _very _wrong, and Bee intended to find out what it was. Because he wanted his family back.

This new one hardly had time for him at all.

For now though he had no idea how he was supposed go about getting what he wanted. So he secretly watched his stressed out guardian until Risk grew tired of his secret and turned his nuzzling muzzle to the guardian letting out an annoyed yowl. Ironhide's head snapped up at the creatures warning and he caught Bee's bright baby blue optics peaking out at him before the youngling snapped them shut pretending to be recharging.

Ironhide let out a tried yet amused huff as he pushed himself to his weary feet taking a few strides to the small berth just off to the side of his. Leaning over the short berth he stroked the loyal robo-cat on the head, scratching him behind the audio receptors before the two tone creature let out a meow and leapt away prancing across the room to curl at the side of Ironhide's berth and wait. Hide carefully lifted the edge of one of his charges many fluffy blankets to find him curled in a tight little ball acting as if he was obviously lost in the safety of recharge. Hide didn't even bother to try and stop his smile. Instead, he knelt down tracing a digit down Bee's fragile frame sending a warm, strong, comforting pulse from his spark until baby blue optics finally flashed open to stare up at him as the tiny mech grinned in return.

"You should be in recharge my little Bee." Ironhide gently scolded.

"I don't wanna." Bee argued, reaching up quickly to latch tight little fist onto Ironhide's fingers. "Want you Hide!"

"I'm right here, Bee." Ironhide assured the youngling. "I'm not going anywhere."

Bee pouted. "Never get to see you."

Ironhide visibly deflated at the youngling's words. Silently cursing the recent turn of events the weary mech picked Bumblebee up from his cocoon of blankets, taking most of them with him, and carried his charge back to his berth. His hydraulics hissed in protest at the action of lying down carefully with his little youngling clutched protectively to his chest, but he paid them no mind. Bee was still holding tight to his stuffed companion like he did every night, but now his free hand found a firm hold on one of Ironhide's fingers and refused to let go. He snuggled up close to the humming of his guardian's spark letting it calm his nerves as Ironhide shushed his confused spark with steady pulses from his own.

Risk leapt up from the floor not even bothering to glance up when Ironhide grumbled in protest at the robo-cat on his berth. The two-tone creature just plopped down at the end of the berth curling his long tail around his body as he kept careful optics on the youngling that was steadily slipping into recharge. Ironhide sighed heavily his dark optics watching his precious charge for a long moment before he finally gave into his own fatigue and fell into recharge knowing that in the morning this was going to change.

Enough was enough.

He refused to neglect his youngling to keep him safe. There had to be a better way.

* * *

Yawning widely Bumblebee nibbled away at the little cube of energon Ironhide had gotten him as he swayed back and forth with the motion of his guardian's purpose filled march. In the youngling's opinion it was _way _too early to be out of recharge, but Bee wasn't about to complain about not being left behind for the first time in orns. If getting to stay with Hide meant he had to wake up at a glitchy breem than that is just what he would do.

He could feel Risk prancing along at Ironhide's side and the strange glances the trio got as Ironhide made his way to Optimus's office. No bot spoke up to question the weapons specialist though. They merely leapt from his path, every now and again casting Bee a smirk or a loved filled glance. All knew better than to get in Ironhide's way when he had _that _look on his faceplate. It was safer to just grin and hug the wall hoping it was them that the weapons specialist was out to beat into a pulp this morning.

It wasn't until Ironhide rounded a corner and came faceplate to faceplate with Ratchet did the trio come to a halt.

Bee glanced up from his purple cube in confusion as the two mechs took up the rather large hallway staring each other down with narrow optics for a long, tense moment before Ironhide finally spoke.

"Morning, Ratchet."

"What the pit are you doing, Hide?"

"Isn't it you that is always saying don't curse in front of him?" Ironhide countered as he went to go around the medic only to have a hand fly up and block his path. "Ratchet," Hide warned, his cannons beginning to hum as they itched to transform in his arms. "Move."

"You are scheduled for the southern gate guard this morning, Hide." Ratchet said. "And Bluestreak is scheduled to have Bee. Prowl isn't all that happy about Bluestreak showing up at his office a few klicks ago saying that you and Bumblebee were nowhere to be found."

"Sometimes I wonder if Prime commands this army, or if Prowl does." Ironhide rolled his optics.

"Ironhide," Ratchet raised an optics ridge. "What's going on?"

"What's going on?!" Ironhide's grip on Bumblebee, who was sitting comfortably in the crook of his arm like always, subconsciously tightened making the youngling squeak in protest. Immediately Ironhide's attention snapped back to his charge, his grip loosening in a nano-klick. Risk's angry hiss from the floor at his master's squeak was ignored by both mechs as Bee turned a pout up to his guardian at being slightly squished. "Sorry, Bee."

The youngling glared for a moment before he shrugged it off and turned his attention back to his breakfast.

"What we doin', Hide?" Bee asked around a mouthful of energon.

"Going to see Optimus." Ironhide answered as he raised his optics to hold Ratchet's. "And you can by all means come along, Ratch. Because you aren't going to stop me. I've had enough of this madness."

"Madness? These are orders, Ironhide."

"Orders I'm fed up with, and don't act like you're not!" With his free hand the black mech shoved his friend to the side and continued on his way. Ratchet cursed at his friend's actions and rashness, but followed him nonetheless as he stormed into Optimus's office to find the commander right in the middle of a rather heated discussion with Prowl. The subject of which came to an abrupt halt as Ironhide threw open the sliding door and stomped into the room. Ratchet trailed in after him with his arms crossed and his brows raised. Risk following close behind.

Ironhide came to a stop at the front of Optimus's desk his optics narrowed and his temper spiking. Prowl, who had been here partly to find out where the guardian and his charge were, step away from the desk to glare at the Autobot leader and the weapons specialist.

"Aren't you supposed to be at a post?"

"Mute it!" Ironhide hissed at the white mech making Bee tense a little in his hold before Hide placed a comforting finger atop his youngling's head. Bee practically purred at its presence leaning into his guardian's chest letting go of his confusion of the situation and concluded it would be better for him to just sit back and watch. "I'm right where I need to be."

Having silenced the SIC Ironhide then turned his focus to Optimus.

"We need to talk, Prime."

Optimus leaned away from his desk at the tone of his lifelong friend before running his optics over his WS and the little yellow youngling that was resting safely in his arms nibbling on a cube of energon. "What about, old friend?"

"Don't you 'old friend' me!" Hide ground out hotly as his optics all but glowed with rage. "You see this?"

He plucked Bee from his favorite place holding him up for Optimus and the room to see. Bee wiggled in his guardian's hand casting the bot he hadn't seen in a while a beaming smile. He was excited to see Optimus, but he didn't quite get why his beloved Ironhide and his Optimus were mad at each other.

They weren't supposed to be mad at each other. They were friends.

They were his family.

"This is the only thing in left in this damn universe I have worth living for anymore! The last time I checked him, besides this damned war, was what this whole ship was fighting for! Have you forgotten that, or have you just gone glitchy and are in need of me hitting you really hard in the head once again?!"

"Ironhide!" Ratchet scolded, grabbing his friend by the shoulder only to be shrugged off.

"I have not forgotten, Ironhide." Optimus grumbled as his own optics narrowed.

"Than what the Pit is wrong with you!?"

By that point Optimus knew what was upsetting the mech so. It was upsetting everybot. No one was happy about how things were going. Especially Optimus, but he was doing all this to keep the youngling safe. Which was just what he told Ironhide. "I'm trying to keep him safe. You know that. It's what you are doing. It's what this whole ship is doing."

"Neglecting him is _not _keeping him safe!" Ironhide snarled. "It's doing that glitch's work for him!"

Optimus went very still at that. _Neglecting him? Are we neglecting him?_

"Yes," Ironhide's anger faded out of his frame as he brought his charge to rest in the crook of his arm again. He patted his beloved Bee on the head trying to reassure the little mech as his spark pulsed with confusion for the room to feel. He hadn't meant to have a full on temper tantrum in front of the youngling, but it had to be said and Optimus had needed to see the bright way Bumblebee smiled at him at getting to see him for the first time in orns. Taking the question his old friend was asking himself at the moment, which was very visible in his optics, Ironhide responded. "We are."

For a long klick the room was silent as the four mechs stared around at each other in heated worry while Bumblebee watched helplessly in his guardian's hold until one spoke up.

"He has a point, Optimus." Ratchet's words shocked Ironhide out of his glare making him glance to his left to look the medic over.

"I do?"

"Yes," Ratchet snorted with a roll of his optics at his friend before turning his full focus to the Prime. "Squirt doesn't understand all this. All he knows is he only gets to see Ironhide—his guardian—before recharge and he's being handed around like some kind of toy every couple of breems. He's a youngling. He needs stability. So far he's had it, and yet now we've flipped his world on its axis and started shaking. All this uncertainty isn't good for him. I was going to come and talk to you about it, but it seems Ironhide snapped first."

The black weapons specialist shrugged with a hint of embarrassment. "You try having a youngling cling to you like you're going to vanish any nano-klick and see if it doesn't upset you a little bit."

"I haven't got to see him." Ratchet pointed out with a hint of sorrow. "So I wouldn't know."

"Good for him or not." Prowl finally spoke up from the side of the room. "It's the only way for the schedule to work and for us not get invaded. We _are _now aware that our secret is out. We're doing all this to make sure we keep him alive. This is _war_ after all."

"His well fair is my first concern." Optimus breathed out, his bright optics resting on the nibbling youngling who seemed oblivious to the conversation around him. The Autobot commander could feel that the mechs around him were boring Bumblebee. He was only interested in why they were being hostile to each other and that he was actually getting to see them. The way he'd grinned at Optimus had crumbled the well constructed wall he'd created to keep himself distant from Bee over the last few orns. He was doing it in hopes that it would make Megatron want him less when he came, because his older brother would come, Optimus knew that. It was only a matter of time. Which was why the whole ship had gone glitchy. The truth hanging over them was screwing with every bots processor. Maybe that was why none had noticed how their actions were hurting the very one they were trying to protect.

The very last thing any of them wanted.

"If this is hurting him it must stop."

"And what should we do different, Optimus?" Prowled hated being the bad guy. He hated it with every bolt in his frame. He had to be it though. It was his job to be the logical one. The one to act without emotions clouding his judgment.

It was a hard thing to do when it came to Bumblebee.

Because how could any bot in their right processor look at that adorable little smile and not melt to his will? Not even Prowl had been able to keep the youngling's warmth out of his spark. It had only hurt him in the long run though. Because now he had to take the youngling's emotions out of the equation and think about what was best for him in the end. And keeping him alive, out of Megatron's grasp, was what best for him.

"The information Jazz and the twins retrieved proves Megatron knows about him. It is logical to assume that he will want to get his claws on anything that could possibly be a weakness to you, Optimus. So with that knowledge it is also logical to assume that he will come for the youngling. When he does it will either be to offline him or take him. Neither option really up there on my list of things to get done this orn. So measures have to be taken to keep that from happening. I have only come up with two options and they are our present course of action of tripling every defense we have to be ready when the time comes, or the other option. Which is to take Bumblebee out of the equation all together."

Ironhide bristled at the very thought, his cannons humming to life as utter fury flashed through him. Bee reacted to the change in the sparks around him. Because it wasn't just his guardian's that pulsed with fury at whatever it was that Prowl meant. Ratchet hissed a curse under his breath as Optimus's spark hardened with anger.

"No!" Ironhide struggled to control his emotions as Bee glanced around. "That's not happening. He's not leaving! He's staying with me!"

Bee went ridged at those words.

_Leaving?_

He was leaving?

He didn't want to leave.

Twisting in Ironhide's grasp he pushed himself to his feet, standing in his place in the crook of Hide's arm, leaning against the mechs broad chest he placed his hands over the spark that was twisting in rage. "Leaving?"

The youngling's voice was a shock to the four mechs, each having almost forgotten that he was even there. Four sets of optics found the confused little mech tilting his head up to Ironhide.

"I don't wanna go. Wanna stay with you, Hide. With Optimus."

Ironhide's spark dropped at the sheer terror glittering in those baby blue optics.

"You're not going anywhere, Bumblebee." Ironhide rapidly cooled his systems and steadied his spark to try and calm his charge.

Bee didn't look convinced though.

Now that the fear had entered his processor it wasn't going to be quieted so easily. He'd lost one family. The fear of losing this one was something he battled with most orns. Every time his guardian was gone longer than planned. Every time the twins or Jazzy didn't drop in to say hi. Every orn that went by and he didn't get to poke Ratchet and Prowl. Especially on the orns when he didn't get to see or feel his adored Optimus.

Those orns the fear flared to life in his spark only to be quieted when he was in the safe arms of those he knew would protect him. Without them he doubted his very existence.

"Promise?" Bee whispered.

Ironhide nodded. "I promise. You know I'd never leave you."

For a moment Bee was quiet until he seemed to accept his guardian's promise and sank back down to sit his spot. "Okay."

"This needs to change." Ratchet was the first to speak up after Bee settled back into Ironhide's protective hold. "Because moving him isn't an option. For more than one reason."

"Running around like glitches is just what Megatron is hoping for." Ironhide said. "He wants us stressed, angry, and not thinking. That would make it all the more easier for him."

"I know my brother." Optimus sighed, a statement that caught Bumblebee's interest even if he stayed quiet. "Offlineing him isn't what he wants. Not yet. He wants me to pay first. I know how he'll play this. The increased guard is a necessity, but Bumblebee does need stability. He needs all of us. Prowl, you and I will revise the plans and schedules. We will make this work a more affective and youngling friendly way."

Prowl nodded slowly as he mentally began rewriting plans and strategies. "Consider it done, Optimus."

"Ratchet," Optimus turned to the medic. "Get with Wheeljack and Preceptor. Their working on some knew radar and tracking systems. So far nothings blown up so I'm hoping something with actually work this time. Maybe. I need your input in their plans so that we have a better long range system of knowing what's coming at us."

"I'll keep them from frying each other and all of us." Ratchet scoffed.

"Ironhide," Optimus glanced to the guardian who was the sheer embodiment of a protective instinct and the youngling who sat in his hold watching to room with wide, intelligent, baby blue optics. "Go spend so over do bonding time with your, charge."

Bee's optics lit up with glee as Ironhide smiled. "I'm supposed to be on duty, Prime."

"Yes well," Optimus shrugged with a smirk. "Sometimes being me has its perks."

"Thank you, Optimus." Hide said.

Optimus shook his head as he gazed down at the youngling who beamed back at him. "No, Ironhide. Thank you. Now let's get back to work."

* * *

Several breems and a lot of giggles later found Bumblebee rolling around the rec room floor on his squishy red and black sphere—he had dubbed it Squishy—that Hound and Trailbreaker gave him for his spark-orn. The toy was twice the size of him, but that made it all the more fun to figure out how to climb on, latch hold, and have Risk roll it around the room like a ball of yarn. Bee was sure his robo-cat had as much fun with Squishy as he did.

Risk batted the sphere away with his tail sending Bee rolling across the room before he lightly hit the couch falling off his toy in another fit of laughter. Ironhide chuckled from where he sat at one of the rec room tables watching his charge as the robo-cat leapt across the room pushing the youngling back his feet before batting the toy away leaving Bumblebee to chase after him.

"He really loves that creature doesn't he?" Kup's voice pulled Ironhide from his careful vigil making him glance toward the grey mech who was currently off shift.

"Which one?" Ironhide snorted as he turned his focus back to Bee watching the youngling latch onto Risk tail and get carefully yanked across the room by the rather annoyed feline.

"Both I supposed." Kup chuckled. "That robo-cat would do anything for Bee, and I'm pretty sure the same would be done in return."

"Everything else on this ship is so much bigger than him its good he has a more sizeable playmate."

"Weren't you rather pissed off when that thing sprang out of the cake?" Kup baited with an amused grin.

"That was then." Ironhide shrugged. "This is now."

"And now you think the pet is good for him?"

"I think it is good to have another set of optics watching out for his safety. Especially now."

"I supposed you have a point."

Bumblebee landed with a rather loud thud when his Squishy crashed into the legs of the large metal C-Ball table across the room and ended he up on his back staring up at the ceiling with spinning confused optics. How'd that table get there anyway? He could have sworn he was on the other side of the room.

Shaking his little head to try and clear his spinning processor he blinked once to find slanted blue optics staring back at him outlined by a round feline like faceplate with twitching wire whiskers, flicking pointed audio receptors, and rather amused bright optics.

Bee scowled in return.

_"What so funny?" _He huffed though his bond with the robo-cat.

_"You."_ The pet replied simply as he nipped the youngling in the shoulder and helped him back to his feet. Bee stumbled a little having to catch himself on the leg of the game table making his guardian—who was already watching him wearily from across the room—flinch and go to rise from his chair.

"Bee?"

"Good, Hide." He chirped glancing over his shoulder, pushing out with his spark to prove that he was okay. Ironhide's unconvinced spark met him as his guardian raised an optics ridge. The large mech wasn't fooled so easily by the little mech whose spark was so open and near to his own. Their bond burned brighter every orn it seemed and yet Ironhide still hadn't been able to teach the little mech to communicate through his bonds yet. He and Optimus had been trying for a while now. The youngling was old enough to do more than tug and push with his bounds but he hadn't tried. He seemed perfectly happy with the way he got bots' attention now. Pushing his spark out there to be felt and to call to those he wanted. There was nothing wrong with it, there was just more that he could be taught.

More that Optimus wanted to see if he could do.

All bots could communicate through close bounds, and with a spark as strong as Bumblebee's those closest to him wondered just what the youngling was going to be able to do with his.

None were aware yet that Bee could communicate with Risk. One, because such things were impossible for normal bots. Then again, there wasn't much about Bee that was _normal_.

There never had been.

And two, because the thought hadn't accrued to any of them. They didn't stop to wonder that if with all the things Bee could do with his spark, could he find a way to communicate with a being that was thought to be less intelligent?

Not even Optimus had questioned it, and Bee wasn't making it common knowledge that he and Risk could 'talk'. Risk didn't seem to really want any other bots to know that they did, so Bee hadn't said anything. There was a lot about the things that he could do that even he still didn't understand. Just like how when he had asked Optimus what was wrong with Jazzy, Sides, and Sunny when they had vanished and come back so angry. It had confused him when the mech turned to stare down at him with optics as wide as moons. Him being able to feel the trio coming from so far away seemed to shock Optimus and after that he wasn't very keen on asking anymore questions. He didn't like feeling different. He wanted to belong in his new family more than anything in the universe. Which was why he tried so hard to please every bot around him. He didn't want to lose this family the way he lost his carrier.

He didn't want to be alone again.

Knowing that his guardian was unconvinced Bee abandoned his Squishy and toddled his way across the room with Risk a watchful shadow just behind him until he reached Ironhide's massive feet. Hopping up and down in front of them he reached up with a slight whine as he pleaded with his spark to be held. Ironhide could deny the tiny mech nothing so he reached down plucking his charge from the floor and brought him to rest in his lap.

"You shouldn't make a habit of crashing into table legs, Bumblebee." Kup told the youngling with an playful tone. Bee turned his bright baby blue optics to the old grey mech and offered a shy kind of smile. The sight amused both mechs. They only youngling any Autobot had seen in vorns, the object of so much love aboard this ship, and the tiny creature could somehow still be a little shy.

It wasn't often.

Most of the time Bee like attention, when it came from those close to him, but sometimes even around bots he really liked he'd grow quiet and stick close to those he found as grounded safety. Snuggling into Ironhide's broad midsection he crossed his legs and watched the two mechs in silence.

"Awe come on now, Bee." Hide chuckled. "It's Kup. You don't have to be shy around Kup."

"With all that's going on around this ship at the moment, Hide, I don't blame him." Kup waved it off knowing all the strangers the youngling was seeing recently probably had a lot to do with why he was being a bit shyer lately.

"Now hold on a nano-klick, my little Bee isn't a coward is he?" Ironhide raised a optic ridge in mock horror having to conceal his amused spark at the way the youngling twisted in his lap to gape up at him in shock.

"Not coward!" Bee snapped.

"Well you're not talking to Kup." Ironhide pointed out. "What other conclusion should I come too?"

"Different one." Bee narrowed his optics his little spark pulsing with anger which Risk snarled from the floor at the feeling off.

Ironhide couldn't hold back his laugh at that, opening up his spark again to prove to his charge he didn't think he was a coward. Bee relaxed almost immediately at the knowledge, though he pouted up at his guardian and the other mech that laughed at him.

"Not coward." He repeated with a huff.

"I know, Bee." Ironhide cooed running a loving digit over his little charge's head. He was gifted with a slight purr and two antennas flicking happily at the motion. "I'm just messing with you."

Bee was about to speak when the door to the rec room swished open and he was met with a sight that made the little youngling lean further into the safety of his guardian.

There was a grand total of twelve new bots on _Artemis 1_ at the moment. Every one of which having come from either Hot Rod's crew or Ultra Magnus's. They were all good, loyal, soldiers. However, none of them were all that keen of their present set of orders. They would die for their cause without a second thought, but they were not youngling sitters. They were frontliners and merciless killers. They were as thrilled with the youngling's presence as much as the next bot, but he was Optimus's risk to take. Not theirs. And since every mech on this ship knew it was only a matter of time before Megatron showed up to try and kill them all because of this little pip squeak most weren't sure what to think.

They'd die for him.

They swore an oath, but none of them were in a hurry to get attached to him. Most saw it as a technical weakness.

None anymore so than Hammerdown.

The blaster carrying mech was much like Ironhide in a lot of ways. He was big only slightly smaller than the massive black mech by a foot or two and couple layers of armor, he was buff, he was more shot first ask questions later, he was a valued asset to the Autobot case, and he'd seen more war than most. There were really only two main differences between the two mechs. One, Hammerdown was bright blue with black assents around his doorwings, feet, and the two massive plasma blasters that were locked into place at his wrist. And two, Hammerdown wanted _nothing_ to do with the youngling.

Not one damn thing.

The massive mech's optics narrowed as he entered the rec room to find the youngling, his guardian, and the old story teller sitting at a table with that annoying robo-cat among them glaring daggers at him across the room. The way the little mech tried to vanish into his guardian didn't go unnoticed by the visiting solider, nor did the way the bot that had once been his teacher glared at him at the small creature's actions.

Hammer just rolled his optics and headed to one of the couches.

He'd been on shift for seventeen fragging breems. He was tired, he was hungry, and he was rather pissed off. He wanted to unwind, watch a little TV, preferably something blowing up, and pretend that he wasn't still grieving for a life lost almost a life time ago all because he and Ironhide had to be on the same stupid ship, and he wasn't going to let that fragging youngling keep him from doing any of it. Falling to the sofa with a rather loud plop Hammer grabbed the remote and started channel surfing, ignoring the questioning gazes he could feel.

Bee watched the new comer with apprehension. It had only taking the youngling about three klicks the first time he'd seen him to figure out that the visiting solider didn't like him. Why, Bee had no idea. He didn't remember doing anything to upset the mech, but then again there were some bots out there that just didn't like him. He knew that better than any other bot.

Huddling down into Ironhide's frame Bumblebee glanced up to his guardian's optics a little shocked at the way the big black mech was looking at the new comer. It was almost with . . . pity?

Poking Ironhide in the softer wires between his midsection armor he whispered up to the mech when his gaze rested on him. "Why he don't like me?"

Ironhide sighed at his charge's question before glancing back to the blue mech across the room. When Optimus had told the WS that one of the mechs being assigned to help defend Bee was Hammerdown he hadn't known how to feel. It had been ages since the last time he'd seen his former student. The former best friend of a mech he couldn't let himself even recall anymore without wanting to rip his own spark out. He'd yet to utter a word to the younger solider. He didn't know what he was supposed to say.

"He's just a hard aft." It was Kup that answered making Ironhide tense, Bee tilt his head, Risk almost purr in amusement, and Hammerdown slowly twist on the couch to bring his narrowed optics to meet the older bot.

"You got some problem with me, old timer?" Hammer questioned.

"No more so than you do with him." Kup held the violent mech's gaze as he rose from the couch. Hammer was in no fraggin' mood for all this. Why the Pit had Hot Rod assigned him this gig anyway? The commander knew his history with Hide. With Optimus. With all of them! That hadn't stopped where he got shipped though.

Biting the inside of his mouth to keep his sharp tongue at bay he cast his glare to the pip squeak before leveling it with Ironhide. "It isn't the youngling I have a problem with. Though listen up you old aft." His darkening blue gaze pinned Kup to his seat. "I want _nothing_ more to do with younglings! I took an oath. I'll protect him when the time comes, but that _doesn't _mean I have to like him!"

Spinning on his heal Hammerdown stomped out of the rec room slamming the sliding door behind him leaving a few very shocked bots in his wake. Kup merely rolled his optics, Risk snarled at the shut door, Ironhide rested his head in his hands, but Bee . . . well he was grinning wickedly with the new found knowledge that the mech didn't hate him.

As far as he was concerned that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Yes! Another OC has finally joined the party!**

**Who already doesn't like my dear Hammer? Huh? I have to admit sometimes he is kind of an aft.**

**And what's with his issues with Ironhide? Anyone got any guess? I'd love to find out what you guys are thinking!**

**Anyway, yes I know it's late . . . don't hate me . . . semester is almost over and well everyone knows how that goes. However, have a happy early Thanksgiving present from little old me. Chapter 5 in all its building drama. I know I promised the action started after chapter 4 and it does . . . it just has to kind of builds up with the rest of the story line. Because for some reason these glitchy giant alien robots in my head have their own freaking stories to tell and do not care if they veer off Bumblebee's main plot line. . . and then they became Bumblebee's main plot line . . . yeah I still have no idea how that happened but well, you'll all see soon. Seems every bot in this crazy tale has a story to share, and they won't stop yelling until I add them to the mix. So here you have the first one. Hammerdown. **

**I'm being honest when I tell you that I have no idea where he came from. One minute I'm typing away a cute little part with Bumblebee being his normal adorable cuteness and then BAM! I suddenly have another OC and one crazy arc to the story. I have no idea where Hammer and the rest of the gang you will soon meet decided to join us from, but I have to admit I do not regret them. No I kind of love them. **

**Hope you guys will too. **

**In other news, since I was a few days late I might put up another chapter Saturday. Like always it depends on how much feedback I get. I want to hear what you guys think! Questions, comments. Do you hate it, do you love it. Can you tell what's going to happen next, or are you just as lost as I am? **

**So review and you'll get chapter 6 Saturday . . . and it's kind of epic . . . just saying. I love it. Than again I might be a little bias. Who knows? **

**Though it and Chapter 7 fall into each other, and their two of the shortest chapters I have so far. A whole LOT happens in them and the story gets rather dramatic, you might love me you might hate me, but I do see that they are shorter than the past few. So I might put Chapter 7 up along with 6. That also depends on you guys though. No pressure, but if your dying to know what's going to happen it's on you guys. :)**

**So the craziness continues. **

**The Autobots are in a panic. Megatron knows. They have two options to keep Bee safe, but only one they are willing to humor. Foolish Prowl thinking you could send Bee away. Tisk. Don't you know Ironhide would gut you for trying that? However, no matter what they try they all know the same thing. The Decepticon Lord will come for what he views close to Optimus. No bot knows when or how, but it's there hanging over all of them.**

**Things are about to go very, _very, _wrong for are beloved mechs and sweet little Bumblebee. Will they be able to keep him safe? Will they lose the only thing they've found in vorns to live for? Will you find out why Hammerdown hates Ironhide so much?  
****You're going to have to stick around to find out. **

**Read and Review! I love you guys and thanks for your continued reviews and support. You make my day!**

**Dang this was long thanks to any of you that actually read it. **

**Chat with ya later.**

**-Jay **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro does.**

**However, the plot and OCs of this story are mine. So no touchy. Please.**

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews I love seeing what you guys have to say! **

**And now . . . you might love me you might hate me, but either way I promised you action. **

**Here it is. **

**Well sort of . . . at least it's starting. Oh you'll see, just go forth and read the craziness.**

**Poor, poor Hammerdown you never should have started yelling your story at me mech. You're in for it. **

* * *

Chapter 6

It had been a quite full orn for little Bumblebee. He'd spent the first orn in what seemed like ever not letting his beloved guardian out of his sight. He and Ironhide had done everything together and the little youngling couldn't be happier. Even if now he was so tired he couldn't keep his optics open to even try and convince Hide that he wasn't tired.

The massive black mech was chuckling quietly at Bee's vain attempts to prove that he wasn't falling into the grip of recharge at that very moment while the guardian wrapped his charge in six layers of his fluffy blankets designed by Perceptor to help regulate the little mech's inner core temperature since he was still too young to do it on his own. Once Bee was snuggly wrapped with Buzz tucked in beside him on one side and Blue tucked in the other Ironhide allowed the robo-cat to hop up into the youngling's berth, curl protectively around him, and settle down with load purrs lulling the little mech even deeper into the bliss of dreams.

"Recharge well, my little Bumblebee." Ironhide stroked him one time between his antennas earning a tired smile and a quiet whisper.

"Night, Hide. Love you." With that the tired little mech slipped away into recharge safe from everything that might want to do him harm.

"I love you too, Bee." Hide sighed before his optics rose to the pet whose head rested atop his master's side as he watched the bot with curiosity. Reaching forward Ironhide patted the creature on the head, an action he would deny to his dying breath, and whispered to him. "Watch him, Risk. I know you want let anything happen to him."

The robo-cat gave a quiet mew.

Ironhide briefly considered the fact that maybe the creature _did_ understand him before he waved it off and continued. "I'll be back soon. Keep him safe."

The robo-cat's optics narrowed at the sight of the mech turning to leave. Lashing his tail in anger he gave a quiet hiss, not load enough to wake his master, but it was enough to stop Hide. The feline like mech bared his fangs before tossing his head toward the bot's berth. As far as Risk was concerned Ironhide was _not _supposed to leave after he put Bee to recharge. So the robo-cat wasn't about to let him.

"Risk," Ironhide rolled his optics. "There's something I need to do that he can't hear. Now stay put and watch him."

Risk snarled.

"Look here you—" Ironhide stopped himself. "Wait! Why am I even talking to you like you can understand me? You're a freaking robo-cat! Stay in that berth and don't leave him. Good night." Slinging open the door to the quarters Ironhide locked it behind him before leaving the robo-cat and the youngling in darkness.

Risk hissed at the closed door and the guardian who, in the robo-cat's optics, had abandoned his charge. He intended to leave a rather large gash on that foolish mech the next time he saw him for that. With a snort at the turn of events the creature lay his head back on his master's side before resuming his purrs to keep his beloved master deep in recharge while he plotted his violent revenge on the guardian.

* * *

Cyber rounded a dark corridor never looking up, his pale blue optics buried in a security report as he tried to figure out what the weird little beep that kept showing up on the perimeter of his radars was when he crashed faceplate first into the solid frame of a mech a whole lot bigger than him.

Stumbling back he almost landed on his aft before quick hands reached out and caught him. "Whoa, easily there! Watch where you're going, mech."

Cyber glanced up about to apologize for his foolishness only to find that he'd just run square into Optimus Prime. The Optimus Prime. . . .

Oh that was so his luck.

Gathering his cool he stood a little straighter once he nodded thanks to the yellow and red medic that had snatched him from busting his aft.

"Apologizes, sir."

Optimus just chuckled, running a hand over the place that had been crashed into. "No need for apologizes. Hot Rod told me you were dedicated, but looking up every once and a while won't hurt anybot, Cyber."

"Of course, sir." Cyber nodded hating this situation more and more by the klick. This was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now. It was bad enough he was stuck on this ship with a temper tantrum throwing Hammerdown being forced to try and stop what every mech knew was going to happen. Now he was being told how he should do his job.

That was great.

It wasn't that he disrespected the Autobot leader, respect was something the security officer held highly, and Optimus Prime defiantly demanded respect. He just didn't know where his feelings were supposed to lie in this very complicated mess. He felt he should stand loyal to his friend, but he also knew his friend was being a total aft hat at the moment.

It put the quiet mech in a very difficult situation.

He didn't like it.

Ratchet's dark blue optics narrowed slightly at the smaller, pearl white, soft featured mech that stood before him and his commander looking like he'd rather be taking on Megatron alone than having to have a conversation with them. He already knew the transfer solider didn't say much. The medic had helped Optimus decided what mechs were going to be transferred to _Artemis 1_. Ratchet had been there when the Prime chose the silent security expert. The ninja that was no bigger than Jazz was renowned for his skills, and even if he was small and quiet Ratchet had to agree with his commander that he'd be a valuable asset. At the time though the medic hadn't known the quiet mech was Hammerdown's best friend. This had put him smack dab in the middle of the utterly vicious feud that had been raging for many, many, hundreds of vorns. Something Ratchet and Optimus had let to figure out how to handle. They put Hammerdown on the transfer list because he was a force not to be underestimated. Ironhide had taught the mech well all those vorns ago, but the energon soaked past that lay between the pair had hung like a vial over all that knew about it long enough.

Optimus was determined to put an end to it.

He and Ratchet just didn't really know how to do that yet.

"Cyber," Ratchet spoke up figuring that the quiet mech might be their ticket into Hammer's processor. "Got a nano-klick?"

"Of course, sir." Cyber answered carefully.

Ratchet sighed. "You don't have to say sir, Cyber. This isn't all that formal of a ship, and I know for fact Hot Rod's isn't so lose the formalities."

The quiet mech didn't answer. He just lowered his data pad to his side staring at the two with weary optics.

Optimus sighed at the sight.

His own solider reluctant to be before him all because a mech blamed another for something that wasn't either's fault. Did Hammerdown know what his anger was doing to those around him? Did he even care? The commander knew the frontliner refused to even be around Bumblebee because of Ironhide and that alone pissed Optimus off. He'd put up with the feud when it raged between former mentor and student, that is until they tried to offline each other, he'd nearly let Ratchet kill them both for that fight, but when their feud affected his precious youngling that was where he drew the line.

"Cyber, I'll skip all the talk." Optimus said. "I know you're a straight shooter. Where's Hammerdown?"

"I'd like to know that too." All three mechs spun behind them as Ironhide emerged from a dark hall walking forward until he stood with his arms crossed—cannons humming—before his two best friends and the very ninja he'd been looking for.

Cyber gulped.

He was going to _murder _Hammer when all this was over. He would offline. Slowly.

That is if Ironhide didn't beat him too it.

"Umm," The pearl colored mech shifted on his feet. _To betray Hammer, or to not betray Hammer? _He rolled the thought around for a moment knowing what the outcome had to be. He couldn't lie to his commanding officers, and if he was being honest with himself he probably hated this stupid issue more than even they did. Simply because Cyber despised unneeded anger, violence, and death.

Strange considering his past profession.

Casting a careful look around the three bots that surrounded him he let out a breath.

"Shooting range."

"Figures." Ironhide spun on his heels stomping in that direction only to have Ratchet and Optimus lunge forward grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Hold up there hothead." Ratchet pulled him back with the help of Optimus as the pair placed themselves between the cannon tooting lunatic and the path to the mech they were certain he was going to offline. "You can't go scrap him!"

"Ironhide," Optimus scolded. "Hasn't this gone on long enough?"

Hide shoved them both away, his dark blue optics narrowing dangerously. "What? Did you honestly think I was just gonna stomp down there and blast him in cold energon!?"

The two mechs paused.

"Umm . . . ." Ratchet rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Ironhide snorted. "The confidence you two have in me is astounding."

"Well Hide you do have a bit of a track record when it comes to Hammerdown." Optimus pointed out trailing after his massive friend that continued down the hall in search of his former student. However Hide didn't make it far before he stopped dead in his tracks, glanced to his left, and found a rather cheery white mech almost skipping along at his side. Tilting his head Ironhide raised an optic ridge as the shorter security officer turned to look up at him in confusion.

"What in Primus's name are you doing?"

"Coming along." Cyber shrugged as if it was obvious.

Ironhide's optics just got bigger.

"Look," Cyber puffed out. "Just because Hammer is my best friend doesn't mean I agree with how he feels about you or his actions toward the youngling."

All three mechs blinked in shock.

"Cyber," Optimus chuckled lightly. "I do believe that is the most I've ever heard you say at one time."

The white mech just turned and headed toward the shooting range ahead of them. "Needless chatter is a wasteful. I only speak to those I feel deserve my time."

"Does that mean we do?" Ratchet questioned as the white mech rounded a corner.

Hide and Optimus shrugged glancing at each other for a moment.

"Anyway," Ironhide went on walking forward. "I have a fool to settle with."

"Hide," Ratchet warned following close behind.

"I'm not going to hurt him! Much."

Both the medic and the commander knew there was nothing they could do to stop the long overdue confrontation, and as much as both would deny it they thought it was about time this all came to an end. The past had long since become the past. It might still sting all of their sparks, but it was over. There was nothing any of them could do to bring back those they lost. It was time the anger burning between past friends ended.

Not another word was uttered as the three friends followed Cyber down the halls of the battleship until they reached the thick reinforced doors of the shooting range. At the large black doors Cyber stepped from the WS's path allowing the higher ranked mechs to enter before him. Optimus cast the respective young ninja a small smile before he punched in the codes to the range letting the door swish open just as a load explosion rocked the room.

Ironhide lifted his hand to shield his optics from the harsh glow as a plasma blaster shot resided. Once the crackling left the heated air the mech lowered his hand his optics finding the large blue mech he had once called something more than just student standing in the middle of the vast open range his guns still smoking with life. Hammer turned his attention to meet his former teacher's optics as his blasters shifted back to their locked positions.

For a moment the two massive mechs stared each other down in heated silence while three on lookers stood awkwardly alongside until Ironhide finally had enough and strolled into the hot room not stopping until he came faceplate to faceplate with the mech he'd known almost all of the younger one's life. The mech he'd taught to be the formidable solider he was now despite what Ironhide thought was best for him. The mech who blamed him for a death that still tore at his spark.

"Hammer,"

"Hide,"

"It's been a while." Ironhide raised an optic ridge.

"What, seven hundred vorns?" Hammer nodded. "Or do you even bother to remember?"

Hide flinched ever so slightly, some of the anger burning in his frame flaring back to life. For a moment Optimus was sure Hide was going to real back and deck that foolish frontliner, after all this was about as far as the conversation got last time before the two tried to take each other apart. Only this time it didn't happen. This time Ironhide just looked away from the mech whom he'd taught everything he knew too.

"Do you really think I don't care, Hammer?"

Hammerdown stilled.

Ironhide had never asked him that before.

They'd always just yelled at each other for a few nano-klicks before one hit first. That was how it had always been. Both thought the other was wrong. That the other could have done more to change the outcome of past events. Slightly confused by the change Hammerdown tilted his head before the vorns of anger built up behind his words again and he continued.

"Yes, I really think you don't! If you cared you wouldn't have let it happen! You would have saved him!"

"I _couldn't_ save him!" Hide hissed, his dark blue optics flashing with pain. "Nothing I could have done would have mattered! He made his own choices and he paid for them with his life!"

"He made those choices because _you_ left him!" Hammer snarled.

"He was a full grown mech, Hammer! You both were! It was time he fraggin' grew up! I couldn't protect him from the world anymore! In case neither of you noticed, my whole universe was crumbling around me! I lost _everything_!"

"You still had your little brother!" Hammer didn't even realize he'd drawn his double edged battle hammer until a blur of pearl white flashed in the range of his optics and he suddenly found himself slamming down with a harsh thud to the metal floor.

Ironhide stepped back in shock at the sudden appearance of the quiet mech who leapt up, twisted in the air, and kicked the frontliner square on his aft. The pale blue optics of the ninja flashed to him for just a moment before he turned his focus to the friend he'd shoved to the ground.

"What the Pit, Cyber!" Hammer shouted glaring up from the floor.

"I only stopped what you would regret later." Cyber countered offering his hand. Hammer shoved the hand away as he pushed himself up not even bothering to look at the commander and medic who were suddenly at their companion's side, two much needed forms of support.

So far Ironhide was handling this better than he thought he would, but the nano-klick after Hammer had utter the words 'little brother' he felt his resolve snap. It was bad enough he'd had to bring up his universe crumbling. Losing Chromia and Whiteout had shattered the mech into more pieces than he ever thought possible. He fell apart. If it hadn't have been for Optimus, Ratchet, Prowl, and Jazz he knew he would have never lived though the loss, but he hadn't been alone in his pain. Optimus had lost his beloved Elita One the same orn just as Ratchet lost Arcee.

They had all been shattered but together with the help of their other friends the three found a way to piece themselves back together. However, Ironhide's moment of healing ended as quickly as it began. Because his stupid, wonderful, idiotic, bright, glitching, beloved little brother had to go and get his foolish aft offlined.

"I'm well aware." Ironhide whispered as the words 'little brother' slammed into his scarred spark over and over reminding him of the place that would never again be whole. The bond that no matter how hard his spark called was never going to be answered. Because the one that had burned so brightly in that place in his spark was gone. Forever. "But I couldn't be your teacher any longer Hammerdown. No more than I could be his protector. You both had to find where you stood in all this. It was time you _both _grew up."

"You think you were the only one that it shattered?" Hammerdown stood to his full height, but his weapon was retracted and his blasters were as lifeless as his dark optics. "Outrider was my _best_ friend! The last one I had left!"

Ironhide's breath lodged in his throat at the name he hadn't even let himself _think_ in vorns.

"And there was nothing I could do to stop him!" Hammer chocked on his words. "He _needed _you, and you were too busy being lost in your own pain to realize that he was begging for your help. Your family was as much his as it was your's. You both were all the other had left in this whole damn universe and you didn't even look up when he tried to call for you. He went down faster than I could pull him up. Picked a fight he knew he couldn't win, and got his idiotic self murdered! All because you wouldn't let him grieve with you! He was as broken as you were! He loved them too! Pit _I _loved them too!" He shoved a finger at his spark as his dark optics held his teacher where he stood with a look that made the hardened mech shudder. "Your family was _my _family! It was all I had left! Did it not accrue to you that he was just trying to get you to feel something toward him? You shut him out! You shut both of us out! So he tried to find his own way, as desperate and short sighted as it was, he was just trying to _feel_ something! I couldn't stop him! I know that! But it was you that didn't _try_!"

Gasping for breath by the end of his rant Hammer stared at the mech before him who's optics were as broken and lifeless as his spark felt. All the frontliner could think was it was about time. All this time he just wanted Hide to show that he really did feel something. That he didn't just forget Outrider. Because Hammer had done everything he could to try and save his best friend from the fate that found him. All the while Ironhide had done nothing but watch through his own pain as his little brother slipped further and further down until he was lost forever.

"I did try." Ironhide forced out. "But what did you want from me, Hammer? Did you want me to coddle him, you, and tell you both that it would be alright? Because it wasn't going to be alright. Not as far into the future as I could see. I lost my sparkmate, my sparkling, and then my little brother. The nano-klick he walked out I knew what he'd do. Trying to stop him would have only made his rush into it. I thought if I left him alone that maybe he'd grow up! Maybe wake up! That maybe he'd realize that the world didn't revolve around how broken _he _felt! But he didn't think, and he didn't care! He was angry and foolish! He got his own stupid aft offlined. He did it on his own! Nothing I could have said or done would have stopped him!"

"How do you know that!?" Hammer growled.

"Because you're still standing here!"

That muted the mech pretty fast.

He stared in shocked silence with his jaw dropped open as Ironhide shook his head trying to make the younger mech understand.

"You said it yourself." Ironhide sighed. "You shattered as much as either of us, and yet you didn't go sign with bounty hunters and pick a fight you knew would end you. You tried to get better. I taught you both the same, Hammer. Pit I gave him way more time, benefit of the doubt, than I ever did you. He was my little brother! Hammer, I love Outrider more than anything. The same as I loved Chromia and Whiteout. The same as I love you. Do you really think I wasn't trying? I blamed myself for _vorns_! But it wasn't my fault. Do you know how long it took me to finally realize that?! Sure, there are a billion things I would go back and do different. I'd take it all back for just one chance to say something that would change it, to make him think it through, to make his stupid loner aft not act recklessly just one time! But he didn't sign because of me. You said it, Hammer. He was trying to feel something besides broken, the same as I was. He just . . . as usual didn't think it through."

Ironhide ran a weary hand down his faceplate as Hammer studied the floor between them thinking over everything he'd just heard. He had never looked at it that way before. He had always been so mad, so ready to blame someone besides Outrider for his best friend's death, that it didn't processes to think that it had just been Outrider being Outrider. He had always been the do-it-on-his-own type, the act-first-ask-questions-later type, the you-only-die-once-better-make-it-count type. That was what had made him as charismatic as he had been. The world loved Outrider, because he had never been afraid. He wasn't afraid to live.

He wasn't afraid to die.

Maybe Hammerdown had a little bit of that in himself. After all he did a whole lot of that then and now. Outrider had been his best friend. The last one he had for a very long time. They did everything together, learned together, pulled pranks together, and almost got expelled from the academy by Sentinel Prime together. It had been Ironhide that bailed them out of that one.

Actually as Hammer thought about it, it had always been Ironhide bailing them out time after time. Ironhide that taught them to fight, Ironhide that was there to listen, Ironhide that showed them the way he thought they needed to live, Ironhide that welcomed his little brother and little brother's best friend into his home and family when neither of them had any other place to go, and in the end it was Ironhide that felt the worse of all the pain. He'd lost his sparkmate, his sparkling, and _both_ his little brothers. Because the orn Outrider died Hammer turned his back on him, only to come back and try to offline him not a vorn later.

The thick armored frontliner felt his spark shiver in agony and tears brim behind his optics, though he refused to let them out. The last time he'd cried had been after the Sectors fell and he swore he never would again because there would never be another thing in the universe that could ever be that horrible again. Taking a shaky breath he lifted his optics to hold Ironhide's whose brimmed ever so slightly in the corners.

"I miss him every fraggin' orn, Hammerdown. The same as I miss the rest of my family, but I have something else that I must live for now. He needs me, and I need him. Not to mention I'm going see the end of this damn war. I'm going to see that murder pay for all he's done. I refuse to quit, Hammer. I know he'd hate me if I did. Pit he might already hate me . . . I'd hate me. That won't stop me from fighting though."

Hammer lowered his optics to stare at the floor again. "You really were just trying to help us all along weren't you?"

Ironhide sighed. "I thought I was doing what was best for him. Best for both of you. It worked with you, but you always did give stuff a little more forethought than Rider did. Than any of you ever did."

"I never thought about it that way." Hammer whispered. "It just always seemed that you were too busy thinking about what you felt that you didn't care what happened to either of us."

"Part of it was selfish." Hide admitted. "I was broken. Nothing else really mattered for a long time when I realized I'd failed both of them . . . all of them. That didn't mean I didn't care about him though. That didn't mean I didn't care about you. You're as much my little brother as he was. After all you were always tagging along." A small smile graced the mech as he recalled the past.

Hammer smirked slightly as well. "Well there was a lot of mischief to be found in the safety of the great Ironhide's shadow."

"You'll were good at mischief. I'll give you reckless lot that."

"Seems we were always bailing one of you, or all of you out of something." Ratchet snorted.

Optimus could barely hold back his smile. "Did any of you ever have any idea how much paperwork you put me through when you decided that pranking Sentinel would be a wise decision? I was buried to my optics in reports for a Decacycle."

"Hey, we didn't ask to get bailed out." Hammer shrugged. "We hated that damn place."

"What young mech learning to survive in a world on the brink of war didn't hate the Academy?" Cyber raised an optics ridge.

"You never had to go don't you start complaining to me." Hammer went to shove him, but the quick footed mech was out of his reach and grinning before his friend even raised his arm.

"Well forgive me for being sparked to low ranks with no hope of a future for their only sparkling." Cyber countered with a smirk. "I had to learn it all on my own. I didn't have classes, teachers, mentors, or friends to help me."

"From vagabond to ninja the great tale of Cyber." Hammer laughed.

"And it is a _great _tale." Cyber nodded with an amused chuckle.

After the short moment of laughter all five mechs found themselves staring at each other in a new light. It had been so many vorns since four of them had been able to be in the same room without one trying to start something that none of them were all that sure of where to go from here or what this meant now.

Did Hide and Hammer no longer hate each other? Was everything magically better because they finally talked something out? Were they all going to go back to the way it was before?

No.

They couldn't, and they all knew it.

Because no matter what Outrider was still gone and the many vorns of anger had still passed. It would take some time for all of it to fade away, if it could, and despite all the healing in the universe there would still be that dark shadow that hung between Hide and Hammer where Outrider use to stand.

Nothing could take that away.

No matter how hard they tried. Because he was gone forever.

"It's going to take me a while—." Hammerdown started, but Ironhide cut him off.

"I don't need your forgiveness this orn, Hammer. One orn I'd like it. It would help heal a lot, but I know what it's like. I've been mad at you for just as long. We can't just jump right back into the mentor and the student. It doesn't work that way. I'm not the same mech I was. Neither are you. A lot has changed, nothing will ever be the same, but at least now maybe we can stand in a room together and not try to rip the other's spark out."

Hammerdown was quiet for a long moment as he stared at the large black mech before Cyber ribbed him in the side earning the ninja a quiet "Oww," and a shove in return as the frontliner nodded. "Work's for me."

"And with that another crises averted." Cyber beamed.

Optimus had to laugh at that along with Ratchet and Ironhide.

"I like you, mech." Ratchet patted the smaller bot on the shoulder.

"Not an easy task to accomplish." Optimus chuckled.

"Believe me," Hammer shook his head. "Now that's he's taking around you pretty soon you'll be trying to figure out how to mute him."

The mechs laughed once again finally feeling like for maybe just a few klicks they could relax.

Oh, Primus how wrong they had been.

Ironhide was about to make a witty comment about the strange team the overly impulsive frontliner and the quiet skilled security officer made when suddenly burning fear slashed into his spark making him stumble as he gasped and reached for his spark looking up in time to find Optimus gasping in pain bent over with his hands on his knees, and Ratchet stumbling with his optics wide with panic. With spark numbing dread Ironhide knew what he felt before the terrified cry for help rang out through the brilliant, warm, powerful bound that linked him to his precious youngling.

_"HIDE! OPTIMUS!" _Bee's panicked inner voice screamed its way into his spark, so scared that it wasn't able to distinguish who it was pleading for, making the weathered warrior, the majestic Prime, and the seasoned medic swing back to the door in absolute horror as only one thought flashed through all their processors.

_Bumblebee!_

* * *

**Dang I'm mean.**

**On so many levels. **

**Hammerdown:*Plasma blaster goes off as he storms into the room.* Femme what the Pit is _wrong_ with you!?**

**Jaycee: *Ducks behind Cyber.***

**Cyber: Hammer, killing the human will not change your emotionally scarring back story. **

**Hammerdown: Change it? Change it! Its my story I don't want to change it, but damn I'm supposed to be a hard aft not some sorry sob story for people to pity! I don't want their pity!**

**Cyber: No one said you would get it.**

**Hammerdown: *grumbles threats before swinging his blasters at Jaycee* Why did you have to do this!? This chapter is so depressing! **

**Jaycee: *yells from behind Cyber's leg* It's not my fault, it's yours! You're the one that started screaming that your story had to be heard! I was going along quite happy with little Bumblebee and Hide and Optimus and the twins. I didn't plan on _either _of you guys happening!**

**Cyber: *blinks in shock and looks down behind him* So you don't want us?**

**Jaycee: *waves hands dramatically* Pit no! I love you both! I swear! It's just . . . Primus _both _of your stories are so . . . oh wait I can't give you away yet, Cyber.**

**Cyber: *tenses trying to play dumb* What do you mean give me away? And what do you mean both of us? What do we have in common story wise?**

**Jaycee: *looks up in shock* Well you yelled your story too. Now I have to tell it. **

**Cyber: *pales* Oh you wouldn't.**

**Hammerdown: *chuckles darkly* Oh I think she would. Ha! Serves you right, Cyber! Seems I'm not the only one that has to share his painful past.**

**Jaycee: *jumps out yelling* Mute it! You can't give away the story you glitch!**

**Hammerdown: *points blasters* I can fry you now and than no one will ever know the rest of either of our stories, Jay!**

**Cyber: *allows Jaycee to jump back behind him* You _can't _offline the writer Hammer it's bad for reviews.**

**Hammerdown: *waves him off* Oh you're bad for reviews!**

**Cyber: I don't think so. I'm mysterious and cute. People will love me.**

**Hammerdown: They don't know anything about you!**

**Jaycee: *pokes her head out again* Oh that will change.**

**Hammerdown: *glares***

**Cyber: *glares***

**Jaycee: *grins* Thanks for coming along boys you're making it all the more fun!**

**Hammerdown: *growls* Rust in Pit.**

**.**

**So yeah, welcome to the inside of my head. Be forewarned. It's a chaotic place.**

**Anyway, there you have it. Hammer and Hide's emotionally scarring past. We learn a little bit more about Ironhide in this chapter as well as Hammerdown though that is far from all of it for either of them and then we also meet Cyber! **

**What you guys think of him? Because he fascinates me. **

**He is a psychotic mess and when you guys hear about _his _story . . . well that's all I'm telling you for now. The rest you have to stick around and find out. **

**On another note,**

**How about that ending huh? Anybody hate me? Yeah, I know I'm a horrible person. Ha. You think I'm bad now wait until you find out what's happening to our adorable little Bumblebee.**

**Once again reviews are loved and appreciated they also make me write and edit faster since I'm about, oh seven chapters ahead of you guys right now. **

**Thank you to my loyal reviews and readers I owe this story being continued to you, and I'm currently trying to work on a little Christmas short that may or may not get out of scribble stage. If you guys would like a holiday special please tell me because I'm not sure what it should really be about yet. Ideas of what you guys would like to hear would also be appreciated. **

**If you want Chapter 7 to come sooner than next Saturday its up to you guys! Review and tell me what you think.**

**Because Little Baby Bumblebee is hanging in the balance!**

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro does.**

**However, the plot and OCs of this story are mine. So no touchy please.**

**Alright, Chapter 7 and all its agony.**

**On top of that it's a day early. You can thank early Christmas Break for that one! Enjoy.**

**Once again thank you to my reviewers also all of you who watch and favorite this crazy mess. Hopefully you won't hate me to much by the end of this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 7

_"HIDE! OPTIMUS!" Bee's panicked little inner voice screamed its way into his spark, so scared that it wasn't able to distinguish who it was pleading for, making the weathered warrior, the majestic Prime, and the seasoned medic swing back to the door in absolute horror as only one thought flashed through all their processors._

_Bumblebee!_

* * *

**Earlier**

With the stealth of death the foreign presence slithered its way into the center of the unsuspecting Autobot ship. Its mission was clear and simple. A one way trip that would make its sacrifice worth the effort. The task seemed simple enough even for the basic drone programming that made the assassin function. What fight could its target prove to offer? It would be over and done with in a hiss and a bite. The Autobots would never see it coming.

And his master would have what he wanted.

It had took a while of being coiled up in dark corners masking his signal as he waited for the massive guardian to leave his target, but once he did the long bodied mech silently slipped through the floor vents at the side of the hissing door and found his way into the large, black room. Then he had curled up in the corner and waited.

There was no point rushing what was sure to happen.

Besides the quiet purrs rumbling through the room set the assassin on edge. Narrowing his slanted red optics he raised slightly, his hooded head swaying back and forth in the shadows, his parted jaws dripping acid like venom from his wickedly curved fangs, as he set his dark sights on the slumbering target that lay buried under a mountain of blankets and the watchful gaze of a robo-cat.

The assassin would have hissed if it wouldn't have given away his position.

The robo-cat had not been known to be here. It was not accounted for in advance. Now he really would have to wait. At least until the pet was deep in recharge and would only prove a problem after the assassin's fangs were buried deep.

About a breem and a half pasted slowly and the guardian never returned as the pet slipped further and further into recharge leaving his precious master at the mercy of the assassin. It was too bad he wasn't programmed with any.

Satisfied with the state of his target and its protector the long, black virus-viper slithered from his hiding place, his forked metal tongue lashing out to taste the air, his merciless red optics narrow with purpose, and his parted jaws dripping with poison. Climbing the short berth was no difficult task and in a matter of klicks dark red optics peaked over the edge of the berth to find a small yellow mech curled up in a pile of blankets naively thinking he was safe there. His large protector with razor claws and fangs was recharging deeply at his side its long tail curled around him and his muzzle resting beside his master's head. The assassin saw his opening and took it.

Arching from the berth with a hiss the viper sprang forward sinking his long black fangs deep into the soft vulnerable wires of the youngling's side.

Pain exploded into the safety of Bumblebee's dream drawing him back to the real world with an agonizing scream that poured out from his spark. Twisting in the agony that struck him Bee's optics flew open and found the evil glow of red staring back at him as his attacker's fangs dug deeper into his frame pouring it's acid like venom into the youngling.

Bee screamed again.

Risk barely had time to process the sight before his optics when they came online at his master's scream before instinct took over his frame launching him forward. Razor like teeth latched onto the virus-viper's neck forcibly tearing the assassin's fangs out of Bee catapulting both the pet and the assassin to the floor.

Another shriek echoed from Bee's spark as he twisted on his berth.

His tiny frame felt like it was on fire, and it was spreading from his aching side rushing into every wire that flowed energon through him. Withering in pain that was shutting off every logical thought in his processor Bee watched as Risk rolled on the floor shaking the creature with burning red optics back and forth while it buried it's dripping fangs into him over and over again. With another gasp of agony the little mech curled in on himself clutching the place on his side that was currently torturing him. With a moment of clarity brought on by the angry yowls and hisses from the floor Bumblebee did the only thing he knew to do.

He screamed for help.

He wasn't quite sure who his spark called for in the agony and confusion that was flooding his processor all he knew was he had to reach somebot.

His spark instinctively had been trying to find Hide. He knew that Hide could make the pain stop. That he could help him, but he didn't understand this burning inside him, nor the creature that Risk was trying to rip apart on the floor in a raging fury of yowls and hisses. All the youngling knew was that it felt like his spark was going up in flames. He wanted it to stop more than anything else in the whole universe.

It hurt so much.

Bee whined quietly tightening the ball he was curled in. _Hide. . . Opt . . . help._

The world began to darken around him even if the room was already pitch black. It was a different kind of dark. It was almost like it was inside of him.

He didn't understand.

All he really knew was that the pain was overriding his systems as his inner circuits burned with the acid venom that was rushing through him making him twist in pain as the door to the room burst open. Bee knew some kind of sound should have accompanied it, but nothing reached him. All he could feel was the burning that was quickly starting to become numbness as his systems shut down without his consent. Through the waves of pain he was hardly aware that somebot had scooped him up as everything started to go fuzzy to the little youngling who could hardly keep his optics open.

Part of him didn't want too.

The numbness that was over taking him was far better than feeling like he was burning alive, but with the numbness came this overwhelming urge close his optics. The blackness that was seeping into his processor cutting off the rest of the world was welcoming and terrifying at the same time. However, it was better than the pain. He was quickly starting to sink into it when a pleading voice finally reached his audio receptors.

"BUMBLEBEE!" It was Hide, but it sounded like he was very far away as if he was talking through liquid.

The youngling tried to pry his optics open to see his guardian, but at that point he could hardly part them.

"Bumblebee! Please Bee, look at me!" His beloved guardian sounded like he was having a panic attack. That was enough to force the little mech to try harder. Even if he really didn't know at that point what was going on. All he could feel was black emptiness starting to close in around his spark and processor seeming to cut him off from the rest of the world.

He tried to push it away, but it swam back in as if it was suffocating him. He couldn't fight it off.

"Ratchet, do something!"

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder damn it!"

_Sunny? _

What was Sunny doing in his room? For that matter why was Ratchet there? It was past Bee's recharge time. Hide would never let Sunstreaker in past recharge time. Why couldn't he open his optics? What was this blackness that was slowly taking over his spark?

He couldn't remember.

"ALL OF YOU GET OUT!" Ratchet bellowed.

"I'M NOT LEAVING HIM!"

"GET OUT! Both of you!"

"Ironhide! Optimus! You have to go!"

"Preceptor, lock them the Pit out of here! Red, get those damn transfers going! Wheeljack, do what you can for that robo-cat he's the only reason Bee's still breathing this much!"

There were crashes and curses. The slight sting of jabbed needles making its way through the numbing nothingness and frantic calls that echoed into things the youngling's foggy processor couldn't make sense of.

"Ratchet! His spark is failing!"

Bee couldn't even tell who the voices belonged to at that point. The blackness was suffocating him, sinking in around his spark, and cutting him off from feeling anything. Even his own spark-beat, which was slowly fading away by the nano-klick, was a foreign concept. The last thing the youngling heard before he slipped into nothingness was a pleading cry.

"No! Primus, you can't fraggin' have him yet! Come on, Bumblebee! You can't quit on me, Youngling! Hang on a little longer!"

And than nothing.

* * *

_"Bumblebee," _

Bee shifted in the blackness that had taken him over, but he didn't open his optics. He was tired. All he wanted was recharge.

_"Young Spark, you must wake."_

With a tired whine Bee rolled over away from the strange echo like voice that kept probing into his rest.

_"This is not a request." _A warm glow suddenly wormed its way into the youngling's frame making him finally peak open an optic to see something that absolutely threw him for a loop. Picking his little head up the youngling pushed his exhausted frame to a sitting position and twisted back and forth before fear crept in on his weary spark.

Nothing.

That was all he saw as far he looked in any direction. Up, down, left, and right. Nothing, but black emptiness as far as his optics could see. Where was he? Where was Hide?

"Hide?" The terrified mech squeaked out as he curled himself up into a ball, his little shaking arms holding tight to his legs while he tried to make himself as small as possible. "Optimus?"

_"Your guardian and leader cannot help you here little youngling. You must help yourself if you wish to return to them."_

Bee yelped in fear scooting back when a flash of gold light brought a large floating ball of pulsing, sun bright, energy to hover in the emptiness in front of him.

_"Calm, Youngling. I will not harm you. Quite the opposite actually. I am here you help you if you will let me."_

Bee scooted further back from the strange thing and the strange voice that seemed to be echoing inside his spark. He didn't understand it. He wanted his guardian. He wanted his Optimus. They would understand. They would take him home. He didn't like this place. He wanted to go home.

_"You can go home if you try."_

Bee froze.

Did it know what he was thinking?

A small chuckle seemed to rise up from the brilliant light before him that glowed with the fierceness of the sun and yet seemed to welcome Bee in. _"We are closer than you might think, Bumblebee. Yes I can hear your thoughts—well actually your spark—just as you are hearing mine."_

_Weird. _ Bee tilted his head.

The chuckle rose up again. _"Fascinating if you ask me, but we can call it weird if you like." _

Bee tilted his head the other way. Something about this strange light was comforting the fear in his spark, and it did kind of interest him. Concentrating on all his guardian and Optimus had been trying to teach him and the way he knew to talk to Risk he focused on his spark and then forced his thoughts into syllables.

_"Who you?" _The words were hard, harder than when he was talking to Risk, and just like when he was trying to talk like a big bot with his voice. They didn't really ever come out the way he wanted, but he had done it. That alone satisfied the little mech. His caretakers and Risk would be proud of him. That is when he figured out how to find them.

_"I am a friend." _The ball of light danced back and forth in what seemed to be amusement.

_"Where me at? Where Hide?"_

_"You are not too far from him, Young Spark. If you come with me I will take you back to him. You're far too young to be in this place anyway. Come, I will show you the way home."_

Bee hesitated in his spot for a moment longer until the ball seemed to swing away and started to slowly dance back and forth as it made its way into the darkness before them. Bumblebee wasn't sure if he should follow or not, but the thought of being left in this emptiness made his mind up for him. He was _not _going to be left here all alone.

If this strange 'friend' could take him back to Hide than he would follow.

Hopping to his small feet the youngling followed the ball as fast as his stumbled and clumsy steps would allow him to. The light never danced to far away, always seeming to look back some how to make sure he was still following. Bee figured if he reached out he just might be able to touch the bright thing, but at the moment he was just following. He didn't want to do anything to anger the only thing he had to help him find his way back to his family.

They went on like that for what seemed to be a long while to the youngling, but he made no argument. He just wanted to go back to his family. However, his short legs were getting tired and this blackness pushed down on him as if trying to force him back the way he was leaving. Bumblebee didn't really comprehend the pressure that was trying to take over his spark and its strangeness made him gasp for breath every once and a while as he tried to make it go away. When he did this the strange 'friend' would rush back and come just within Bee's reach than suddenly warmth would spread back into his spark letting him catch his breath and feel his spark start to beat just a little bit harder. That alone confused Bee though he just thanked the 'friend' and went on following. He didn't know what else to do.

That is until something caught his attention.

Laughter.

Spinning around the youngling caught the faintest sounds of laughter that pulled at his memory. Tilting his head to the strange sound he could only stare at what had caught his optics. It was a magnificent glow coming from the once empty blackness that had now taken over the way he and the 'friend' had come.

Bumblebee was certain the radiant light hadn't been there before. So how was it there now?

Taking a few small steps back the way he had come the little antennas atop his head flickered to life as the bell like laughter rang out again. Somehow it was almost familiar.

How it was he wasn't sure, but its sound called to his weak spark making him take even more steps back toward the massive arch of light that was looking more and more like a doorway to the youngling by the nano-klick. It poured warmth and welcoming into the blackness he was trudging through. The passage seemed a much better option than gasping though the emptiness that didn't seem to want to let him leave as he tried to follow the 'friend'.

_"If you wish to return to your family that is not the door you want to take, Bumblebee." _

Bee looked over his tiny shoulder to find the sun bright ball tilting this way and that just over his head seeming to look down at him with optics that he couldn't see, and yet their wise and calculating gaze was there to his spark.

_"Why?"_

_"That is a path not even I can lead you back from."_

Bee looked back at the arching glow. _"Why?"_

_"All beings have limits."_

_"Not the way home?" _Bee glanced to the 'friend'.

The voice almost seemed to sigh. _"That is the path to a different home. I do not believe you are too return to it yet. There is still much for you to do."_

_"What I do?"_

That earned the youngling a chuckle. _"Now it wouldn't be good to go telling secrets just yet would it?"_

Bee narrowed his optics at that. _"I not like secrets."_

_"Sometimes they are there for a purpose, Young Spark."_

_"Still not like."_

_"One orn you will understand the purpose of this secret. For now though there are a few very powerful mech's about to rip their own sparks out if I don't get you back to where you belong. So come along now little youngling." _

With one last fleeting glance at the fading echo and light Bee knew that he belonged back with his family and not where ever it was that doorway lead so he stumbled on after the 'friend' back into the suffocating darkness.

Only this time they didn't stay long.

One klick he was tripping over his own feet trying to keep up and the next he was somehow standing in the middle of a hallway of _Artemis 1_. Outside the med bay to be specific. And the scene he found there brought guilty tears to his optics.

Ironhide, his beloved, powerful, stubborn, ever present protector was leaning against the closed med bay doors his massive cannon wielding arms wrapped tightly around himself as he trembled on the floor with silent tears running down his faceplate. Hammerdown had the weathered warrior held close as he sat there next to him looking as if he was whispering to him trying to calm him down. Optimus was standing beside Ironhide the thick door holding up his weight as he repeatedly slammed his head into the metal, his frame trembling with the effort it was taking to keep himself under control and not turn into a sobbing mess on the floor.

Even if that was all his spark wanted.

Though the desperate leader had enough of his emotions under control to keep a tight grip on the shoulder of the massive black mech that was trembling just to his side even if both knew there were no words that could calm either of them at the moment. Prowl stood just behind the Prime his hand on his shoulder in a act of comfort even if the mech's optics were watery with his own forced back tears. Jazz was sitting at Prowl's feet his head bowed as he rocked steadily back and forth his hands curled into tight fist with an energon dripping, long, black, sleek, strange looking, scratched up and torn in half frame clutched in them. The other half of the strange broken frame, the half that bore a harshly pointed head, parted jaws still dripping energon and a dark green bubbling liquid, and offlined optics that still held a tint of an evil red glow to them even if they were long dead was swinging back and forth in Sunstreaker's grip as his clenched fist steadily dented and crumbled the metal even more than the gashes and bite marks that littered it. The golden twin stood across from the doors his dark blue optics narrow with rage, but as Bee stared up into them he could see the buried panic that was glowing within. Sideswipe crouched next to him staring emptily at the locked door before him as if the entire universe was crumbling into nothingness around him.

Bee shivered at the sheer pain that poured from all of them and those that he could feel hanging back just around corners or those that he could feel running around franticly searching the ship for something he didn't know what was.

Slowly making his way forward the little mech toddled over to his guardian's side placing a hand on his shivering arms only to realize that no bot knew he was there. He touched the familiar warm metal that made up his guardian's thick arms, but knew that the grieving mech couldn't see him let alone feel him.

"Why you sad, Hide?" He questioned though he was given no response.

_"Because he needs you, Bumblebee. They all do. As much as you need them." _Bee glanced back to find his strange 'friend' hovering a few feet away pulsing and shimmering like some type of tiny star.

Bee tilted his head.

_"You have something to treasure. Never let it go."_

Not quite sure what the strange being meant or how he was supposed to respond all Bee knew to do was nod before he gently asked. "I can go back now? Please? Don't like it when my family sad."

The warmth of the ball of light almost seemed to smile. _"Yes, my Young Spark. You may go back."_

Bee smiled in return.

_"Until we meet again, little Bumblebee. I'll be waiting."_

A dazzling flash of gold captured the air making Bee turn away from the light as a burning warmth seemed to rush back into a place in his spark where it felt almost as if it belonged before he somehow slipped back into nothingness.

The steady beep of some kind of monitor and a relieved prayer of thanks coming from the familiar voice of a medic was the last thing the little youngling heard before recharge took over his suddenly once again weary, slightly aching spark.

* * *

**Well, it can't be rainbows and puffy clouds all the time you know. . . but I couldn't leave you hanging too much this time so there is some what of a satisfying end of a chapter. Even if this is the shortest chapter I've written in a while. **

**Anyway, what did you think? I'll admit I almost cried when I wrote this chapter and I knew how it was going to turn out. It was just so hard to hurt adorable little baby Bumblebee! However, there is a plot to this story and it needed to be done. **

**So lets do question time. **

**Any guesses about Bee's new 'friend'? And where in the name of Primus was he? **

**The strongest bots the Autobots have reduced to a mess of tears? How badly is Bee hurt? Why was an assassin sent to offline him? And what in Pit is gonna happen to this psycho family next?**

**All in due time my wonderful readers, all in good time. All secrets have a purpose, especially Bumblebee.**

**Now I wanted to do a head count of my OCs so far because a lot of them are coming to light in this part of the story and I want to see who you guys remember. Along with your opinions on them if you want to give them.**

**We have the 'Watchers', who for now will remain nameless. *hint hint* Not for much longer.**

**Then we have Quickfire, who has been mentioned if you remember but you guys have yet to meet. That will change in the coming chapters. **

**Risk, our adorably possessive robo-cat who might have just saved Bee's life. **

**Hammerdown, who has gone from complete aft, to emotionally scarred child, to security blanket to Ironhide. Yeah, he's an emotional roller coaster. Hop on and enjoy the ride with him guys its gonna be a bumpy one. **

**Cyber, who I adore and who's story gets brought to light in the next chapter. *chuckles darkly* I'm cruel. In my defense though it's his fault. He yelled it. **

**And than the last we have for now is Outrider.**

**Anybody catch his mention in Hide and Hammer's backstory. Outrider was Ironhide's little brother. You'll learn more about him as this part of the story goes on as well and who knows what could happen . . . . **

**So yeah, the action here and there is _so _much more where this is headed. So please read and review I want to know what you guys think. Also I'm thinking about putting chapter 8 up this weekend because this chapter was shorter and well because I love this story too much. So if you would like chapter 8 before next weekend please tell me. **

**Wow, once again this note is ungodly long. Sorry about that . . . thanks if you actually read it and if you did here is a little bonus question for you guys to chew on. **

**Anybody figured out why the series is called The Guardian's Guild yet? Hints are coming soon. I promise. **

**Chat with ya later.**

**-Jay**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro does.**

**However, the plot and OCs of this story are mine. So no touchy please.**

**Okay as promised because the last few chapters were kind of short you guys get chapter 8 early! Also because you gifted me with those amazing reviews. I thank you once again.**

**Now, go forth and enjoy the aftermath of the attempt on Bumblebee's life. **

* * *

Chapter 8

The first thing Bumblebee processed when his optics opened was the harsh glow of pale white lights.

He was in the med bay.

Though at first he couldn't remember why. Then it all came rushing back to him as throbbing pain worked its way into his processor. It all flashed back, from the evil glow of red optics, to the fire like pain that rushed though his frame, to the empty numbness that had become blackness, and then finally the strange warmth of that 'friend' that lead him back through the nothing to the place his family was.

He still wasn't sure how all that was possible, or just what had happened to him, but as he shifted in the stiffly clean white sheets that covered the surgery berth he was laying on he noticed something rather disturbing. He had about twenty-five different tubes and wires hooked to him in various places along his arms and sides. Not to mention the entire right side of his small frame was bandaged and held most of the strange tubes that were flowing what seemed to be energon into him. He whimpered slightly at the sight.

Because when he saw them it finally accrued to him just how much he ached and just how cold and cut off his spark felt. He sniffled at the pain, trying to shift so his side would stop steadily pulsing pain into him, but that only made him realize something else. Looking to his left he found a worn out Ironhide recharging as he leaned against the wall and the berth the youngling was laying on, one of his hands laying next to Bee with one of the his thick fingers curled tight around the youngling's little hand that was laying at his side.

For a moment the pain no longer mattered.

He smiled widely and tighten his grip on the guardian's finger as he shifted closer to feel the warmth rolling off of him. Then he reached out desperately for the safety and familiarity that was his powerful guardian's spark.

The strong radiating bond he shared with the massive mech came to life with almost a bounce of excitement as it swarmed his cold spark with light and love wrapping him up in its safety with a comforting pulse of a promise to never let go _ever_ again.

All without Ironhide even knowing it.

Of course that only lasted about a nano-klick before the bubbly bond the youngling shared back woke the mech with a start to find bright baby blue optics staring up at him with a small smile as he tighten his grip on the thick finger he had latched onto. A choked breath of relief gasped from Ironhide as a quivering smile lit his faceplate. Leaning forward he buried his faceplate into the small, laughing, youngling who hugged him carefully with all the things hooked to him restricting his movements. Ironhide choked on his words as they came up with the happy tears he was trying urgently to keep back.

"Bumblebee," He breathed out. "Oh thank Primus!"

"Hide!" The youngling giggled forgetting his pain for a klick as his guardian held onto him tightly. "Hi, Hide."

"Hello my little Bumblebee." Ironhide almost purred leaning back, but never getting very far from the precious little creature that had come to own his spark and would for the rest of his life. Ironhide felt like breaking down and crying with joy. However, the mech had cried far more than he wanted to admit over the last few joors. So he forced the tears back and gently tightened his grip on the little one's hand as he stared down into those bright optics he'd been praying for all he was worth that he could see open again.

He was online!

Hide still couldn't full believe it and he found himself still hanging on the edge of his chair waiting for that next beep that would ring out from the spark monitor that was one of the many things stuck into his little charge. He looked so helpless and breakable laying there on that massive berth hooked to energon transfers, anti-venom, and so much more that Ironhide didn't even want to know what was. He knew it would just make him purge his tanks . . . again.

Not knowing if the youngling was going to still be breathing the next nano-klick had had him quivering on the ground outside the bay on the edge of his sanity, but the klick Ratchet let them in and he saw his youngling laying there in stasis-lock with all those tubes, and needles, and the to slow beat of the monitor had been what really broke him. He'd purged everything he'd taken in within the last three orns. And Ratchet drugged him.

The fragger.

He really wasn't even all that sure how he ended up in a chair beside his charge, or how long either of them had been here, but with the slightly groggy way his systems were booting back up he figured it had to have been a while. None of that really mattered now though. Because he had his precious youngling alive, maybe not all that well, but he was online. Ratchet could—would—fix the rest.

Speaking of Ratchet.

Ironhide turned from his charge who was now frowning as he tried to tug at one of the painful looking needles stuck in him. Hide gently shushed him and pulled his little hands away from the medical equipment as he glanced around the medical bay. He knew that stubborn medic was around here somewhere. There was no way he would have left Bumblebee, let alone Ironhide, for that matter he didn't think Optimus would have left. Though Optimus_ was _commander of the Autobots. The momentary insanity that had come when they busted down the door to Hide's room to find Risk ripping a virus-viper apart and Bumblebee slowly offlineing couldn't be allowed to stay long for Optimus. It couldn't be allowed to break him like it broke Ironhide. He had to find out how the damned thing got on the ship.

Something Ironhide was going to see about figuring out _very _soon.

"Ratchet?" Hide called out to the massive bay. There was a rather loud clang from the office across the way followed by a curse before the red and yellow medic rushed out into the main bay looking frazzled.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Ratchet's deep blue optics danced from Hide to the frowning youngling on the berth who was trying to yank at the tubes in his arms. Ratchet couldn't even try to make himself angry for the possibly harmful action for a klick. Bumblebee was online. He was awake. All the medic could do was stare for a moment with a smile. "Bumblebee." He whispered out.

"Hi, Ratch." Bee chirped as he subconsciously stretched at a tube stuck deep in his little arm. The joy of seeing an online youngling was pushed to the back of the medic's processor as he saw the scratching.

This was far from over.

Online didn't mean safe. Bumblebee's life was hanging in the balance of a hairline trigger with the amount of acid venom that had been pumped into his systems, and Ratchet didn't have time for warm spark felt greetings just yet.

Snapping into fix-it mode his strolled to the berth immediately running scans, swatting the itching fingers away, checking monitors and transfer tubes, and making sure nothing life altering had happened since the last time he'd check the youngling about ten klicks ago. Besides the obvious fact that he'd woken up.

"How is he?" Ironhide asked carefully as he took Bee's hands in his own to keep the slightly whimpering little mech from pulling at the things hooked into him. The joy of waking to his Hide and even Ratchet were fading with the pain that was slowly seeping back in. Bee struggled against the things attached to him.

He wanted Hide to hold him. He wanted Ratchet to take the stinging needles away. He didn't like any of this.

"Hide," He whimpered reaching for his guardian only to squeak in pain when an I.V. was pulled too tight.

"Hey, easy there." Ratchet scolded lightly making Bumblebee lay back and be still.

"Hide," Bee just whimpered again making Ironhide lean closer to the berth stroking his free hand down his youngling's head as the other held tight to his slightly shaking fingers.

"It's alright, Bee. You just have to be still."

Confused and pain filled tears were his only answer and the powerful guardian cringed. Ratchet didn't do much better at the look that took over both Ironhide and Bumblebee, but all he could really do for the suffering youngling was pump more sedatives into him. The same went for the weapons specialist.

Turning from the quiet whimpers and the attempts of comfort the medic reached for one of the many hanging bags that formed a sad little forest to the right side of the berth filled with purple, blue, clear, and diluted green liquids all of which were mixing together in Bee's tiny frame trying to keep him online despite that viper's best efforts. Reaching for a clear bag he opened the valve wider letting more slide through the tubes into Bumblebee. The little yellow mech squeaked at the sudden sting that came at first from the liquid, but Ratchet was there to hush him taking his little hand in his much larger one.

"It's going to be okay, Squirt. I promise. I'll make it stop hurting, you know I will." Bumblebee believed Ratchet, he was positive Ratchet could fix anything, but that didn't mean he liked the fog that washed over his spark and processor after the new stinging liquid entered him. He whined quietly reaching out desperately for the two familiar sparks. Ironhide's wrapped him up quickly trying to take some of the pain, even if he knew he couldn't his spark still tried. Ratchet's overly stressed, wise, soft under all that fake annoyance, spark reached back for Bee trying to comfort him even if he was well aware the tiny mech was going to be in a Pit of a lot of pain for a very long time. Ratchet wanted to blast every damn Decepticon out there through the spark for that fact.

The sedative took affect quickly leaving the youngling a little loopy as he lay holding onto Ironhide's fingers. His bright blue optics swam with confusion and pain even if now they were slightly fogged out. Though the fog might have cut the pain down to a slight sting it wasn't going to make Bee understand what was happening.

"Hurts, Hide." He mumbled tiredly while Ironhide leaned against his berth stroking a finger between his antennas as he tightened his grip on the little hands that clung to him.

"I know, Bee." Ironhide sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

The two mechs glanced up at each other. If only they knew.

"Believe me, my little Bee. When I find out I'm going to tear the bot reasonable into a billion little pieces."

"That's a great thing to tell a youngling, Ironhide." Ratchet rolled his optics as he continued his scans and checks on the tiny mech.

"Well it's true." Hide shrugged. "Now, how long did you knock me out?"

"Four joors." Ratchet mumbled as he typed Bee's energon pressure and other stats into his data pad.

"He was in stasis lock for _four joors_?" Ironhide gasped, turning his focus back to his bewildered youngling. The little yellow bot was glancing between the mechs still trying to figure this out as Hide pet him more to reassure himself than Bee.

"Yes, and I drugged you for the same." Ratchet nodded. "I didn't have the time to deal with your panic attack. Optimus was bad enough."

Bee perked up through his fog at the mention of the powerful red and blue mech. "Where Optimus at?"

"Good question." Ironhide raised an optic ridge to the medic. "Prowl didn't tie him up somewhere did he?"

That question got a small tired giggle out of Bumblebee making Hide smile while Ratchet rolled his optics once again.

"Yes, Hide. We tied the commander of the Autobots up in his quarters and locked the door. Because that isn't pure _insanity_!"

"You drugged _me_." The WS pointed out.

"You were about to tear your own spark out!" Ratchet snapped. "And I couldn't figure out another way to calm you down! Besides in my defense it was Percy that stuck the needle in you. Hammerdown and I were too busy trying to hold you down after you purged your tanks."

Ironhide nodded slowly at the words. He didn't remember anything after he purged, but with how he'd been acting before that he knew it was a reasonable assumption that he had pretty much gone off his rocker.

His youngling was in stasis lock though.

He had his reasons.

"And to answer, Bee." Ratchet cooled his systems once he noticed the spike in Bee's monitors at his anger. "He's trying to figure out where that virus-viper came from."

"Want Optimus." Bee mumbled, shifting on the berth so he could cuddle into Hide's hand. He was tired of his guardian's and the medic's conversation. His side stung, and the wires that kept tugging against him were annoying. He wanted Ratchet to take them out, he wanted Hide to take him back to his berth, and he wanted Optimus to be there so there was a guarantee that everything was going to be okay. Optimus didn't let bad things happen.

"Alright, Squirt." Ratchet relented. "I'll comm him. I did promise I would as soon as either of you woke up anyway."

* * *

Fat, acid mixed, blue drops of energon rolled off the tall dark lab table falling in silence until they splashed to the cold floor adding to the already thick pool at the scientists' and the assassin's feet.

Sadly for the quiet mech, that was what he was at the moment.

An assassin.

The darker shadow of who he was. Who he had been. The glory of his former self shinning to its full horror. The soft spoken security expert had slipped back into a past life at the sight of what had been done to that helpless creature still trapped in stasis lock in the medical bay. And he knew this side of him wasn't going to be safely locked away again until he helped _murder_ whoever was responsible for this horrendous act of cruelty. So he was embracing the darkness in his spark for the time being.

With a sickening crack that brought the pearl white mech far too much pleasure a processor chip was ripped out of the cold lifeless frame of the would-be-assassin of the youngling. Holding the energon dripping chip up before his narrowed pale optics he observed it for a moment as the precious life giving fluid of bots slid down his arm. Most of Cyber's pearl white frame was covered in the blue liquid at that point with how many pieces he'd torn that fraggin' viper into on that lab table with Perceptor ripping to his left and Wheeljack over across the berth typing away trying to hack into the processor of the damned thing so they could find out what mech sent him, and just what he was supposed to have done.

Besides offline Bumblebee.

"This just might be it." Perceptor took the nasty chip from Cyber's out stretched hand tossing it to Wheeljack. "See if you can crack that one."

"It's just a damned drone program!" Wheeljack mumbled under his breath as he hooked up the chip to the computer port and began rapidly trying to break the code. He hissed quietly when he couldn't get around the firewalls. "It shouldn't be this fragging difficult!"

Perceptor walked over to lean around the taller mech to watched the lines and lines of code roll up the screen as the Wheeljack tried to crack it. "I'd say that Soundwave programmed this, but it's not like anything I've ever seen him do."

"Maybe the creepy doc is up to something new." Wheeljack shrugged as he typed. "He's always making scary new things to eat other bots."

"But Soundwave makes a habit of creating things that are capable of more than just following orders. They have complex thoughts." Cyber continued ripping chunks out the creature's processor not even worried about the amount of blue splattered all over his frame. "I've offlined enough of his creations to know what they are like. This thing was short sighted and narrowed minded. It attacked Bumblebee with that robo-cat laying right there beside him. There was no way in Pit this thing was getting out of there alive. Yet it bit despite that. No regard for its own safety was taken. It was merely following orders to the letter."

"Then the question still stands." Wheeljack said as he typed. "Who was giving the orders?"

Another sickening crack followed by a gut churning rip rang out from the lab berth making both scientist cringe despite themselves glancing over their shoulders slowly to find Cyber standing there in the harsh glow of florescent lights holding up the tiny, dripping, dull with death spark of the viper before himself and them.

"Maybe this will help." He tilted his head ever so slightly to the side his once calm, calculating, friendly, yet kind of shy optics were now void of all emotion as the energon rolled down his fingers. Neither mechs really knew the truth about what Cyber's life had been before he joined the ranks of the Autobots. Only Hammerdown and Hot Rod knew the full truth. Because it wasn't a subject the quiet mech spoke of often.

No, more like he guarded it with his very life.

The past was the past as far as he was concerned, and in the past was where it was meant to stay along with other secrets that should never be spoken of.

Who he once was did not dictate who he could—had—become.

He only pulled out this dark shadow when it was absolutely necessary. Unfortunately for him at the moment keeping the youngling alive was something he swore to place over his very life before he got on this ship. So that meant this was one of those absolutely necessary times.

"Yeah, it might." Perceptor nodded slowly before the red mech strolled over to take the life source from Cyber. Holding it carefully between his two hands the small mech hated the idea of tearing a spark out, even if its owner had tried to kill Bee, he still found it a violation of life. He might have been standing there a moment ago ripping stuff out right alongside Cyber, but he wouldn't have touched the spark.

"Come on, Percy." Wheeljack encouraged.

Perceptor nodded again walked back to hand over the spark so Wheeljack could plug it into the computers.

**"That was harsh." **The red mech shifted nervously on his feet, the massive cannon on his shoulder humming with unease, as he opened a private comm with his friend.

**"It was necessary." **Wheeljack answered.

**"It could have been done more delicately than that."**

**"Percy," **Wheeljack sighed. **"Every mech has a past. None of the Autobots, besides maybe Hide, the twins, and a few others, started out as soldiers. Something led us all to this choice. Even you. You can't judge Cyber for doing what's necessary to get what we need." **

**"I suppose I can't."**Perceptor relented. **"It's just weird to see him like this. He's always so quiet and reserved. It's like he's a totally different bot now."**

**"Past lives coming out tend to do that." **Wheeljack softly pointed out as he continued to try and hack the firewall.

Cyber was well aware the two scientists were talking about him. He didn't care though. No more so then he cared what his own spark thought of himself at that moment. It was pointless to be bothered. At times like these he couldn't afford to care. A part of him shudder at that notion though he did nothing to change it. It wouldn't do anybot a bit of good.

This side of him wouldn't be out for long hopefully. Once this was all over he could lock it away and return to his quiet half, his _sane_ half, his half that he actually liked.

Leaning against the energon stained berth he poked at the offline frame staring at the gashes the robo-cat had left in the creature. The youngling's pet had saved his life though it almost cost the cat his. Wheeljack had to jump the creature's spark four times while Ratchet and Red Alert tried to save the youngling. Somehow through it all the wacky inventor and Perceptor saved the pet that was now deep in stasis in Ratchet's office were the senior medic could watch him along with the youngling whose precious life was hanging in the balance of sheer fate.

Cyber cringed at the memories of what had happened outside the med bay while the youngling was swaying back and forth between life and death. That might have been what really tossed Cyber back into everything he had been, the sight of the powerful commander and weapons specialist breaking down.

It broke him once before.

And it broke him now.

Because that wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to be . . . oh he didn't know; _them_! This war, this world, it wasn't supposed to visibly ware on the likes of them. They were supposed to be stronger than the rest, and yet when it came to that youngling Cyber was very aware that not a single bot that had met him was. Even he had crumbled at the sight of that tiny frame withering in pain.

And this was Cyber for Primus sake!

He didn't get close to anything!

Not anymore.

Hammerdown and Hot Rod were the only bots he trusted, the only ones he really talked too. They were the only ones he allowed himself to feel towards anymore. Feeling toward anything else was too big of a risk. Yet he let himself _feel _for this tiny creature.

_How did that happened? _He snorted to himself.

He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Ever since he got on this ship he had been telling himself he was just following orders, that the youngling's safety was his concern because he was told that it should be his concern, but he knew it wasn't. Somewhere between the first glimpse and the first grin that Cyber had shared with the little yellow mech he had joined the ranks of those that fell hard.

Even if he tried not to.

Pit! Even Hammerdown cared about the youngling. Though he'd been hiding it because he wanted to hate Ironhide. However, that was out of the shadows now with the long overdue talk. The comforting in the hall had been proof enough of that serving its purpose. Neither mech could hate the other anymore; they needed each other too much.

The fact honestly made Cyber smile. He had hated the anger that burned in his friend for something neither could have changed. Only it wasn't Cyber's place to tell Hammer he was wrong, so all these vorns he had just done what he always did. He sat back and listened. To the ranting, to the crying, to the hating, to it all. After all it was only fair. He owed Hammer, but also he was a friend, that was what he was supposed to do. Now that it was over though, where would that leave him?

Where did feeling something for a creature so helpless and so much of a risk to his sanity leave him?

He had made a promise to a dead spark that he wouldn't let himself do this again. Get close to those that could be easily taken away. Because there had been a time when he had cared and caring had been his down fall. Had in some sick twist of fate led to the death of the only bot he had cared about in a time when getting close to something was a death sentence.

He had cased that death. His own foolish pride had taken the life of the last he had loved. He hadn't meant for that to happen, but it had. He had been so blinded by ruthless ambition and the need for respect that he hadn't seen he was killing the very spark he was trying to protect. Until it was too late. Until they spoke out against what he was doing. Until they were ripped from his reach.

That had changed him.

Turned him into the mech he was now. The mech he wanted to become. For the one he had lost.

This darker shadow that ruled him now was responsible for that death. Just another reason why he hated this half of himself. He had promised that this half would be locked away, never to be relied on again, because this half had cost him everything.

Yet here he was.

Standing in the harsh glow of florescent lights tearing a spark from the frame of a virus-viper and not giving a damn. Here he was cut off from his own emotions again. He had to be though. Because this time it was what needed to be done. He refused to let this spark slip out of his grasp like the last one had. This one he was going to protect.

No matter if it meant he had to start tearing the sparks out of every being that stood in his way.

If it was the assassin that was needed.

Then it was the assassin that would come out.

"Oh my fraggin' Primus." The shocked words of the wacky inventor drew Cyber's pale optics to the two mechs that stood across the bay from him both leaning in to look at the screen before them with dread almost visibly rolling off of them. The small pearl white mech rushed over to their sides staring at the screen, but what he found there made even his hardened from the moment spark cringe with dread.

It was three words.

Just three words.

Flashing across the screen in bold black letters. Two of the words themselves weren't all that bad. On their own they could probably mean anything, well that is if a mech wanted to be delusional for a little while. Maybe live in denial for a bit. Then they might mean anything. Only they didn't. Because of the last one. It was the signature typed at the bottom that had even Cyber's assassin spark in his throat as he read the three things over and over again.

**Say Goodbye.**

**—Shockwave**

The door hissing open behind the three mech's went completely unnoticed. Along with the questioning stares that burned into their backs. As far as their systems could tell they were still alone. That is until Optimus spoke up.

"Have you found out who sent the virus-viper?" He asked.

He already knew the answer.

He just had to be sure. The leader of the Autobots couldn't go around blaming the Decepticon Lord for _everything_. Even if it was usually his fault. He needed proof before he could go and rip his older brother's spark out for daring to even try and touch _his youngling_.

"It _was _Megatron, correct?"

Perceptor gulped while Wheeljack slowly shook his head.

It was Cyber that answer as he turned for the screen allowing the shocked optics of the commanding Prime and the SIC to see his energon coated frame and the look in his optics that downright screamed murder. "Yes, Prime. Megatron is to blame, but it's Shockwave I'm going to watch drown in his own energon. For that you have my word."

* * *

**No it's okay Optimus. You _can _blame Megatron for everything. **

**Also . . . I'm a horrible person! Gah! Poor Cyber . . . . **

**There is so much pain in that tortured spark its not even fair! On top of that, that's not even half his story. You guys just got the first icing layer off the top of the metaphorical cake of horror. There is a whole lot more to come. It's his fault though! He yelled it.**

**Anyway,**

**Bee's awake, Hide got drugged, Optimus is on the war path, Shockwave sent the viper, and Cyber is scary as Pit. **

**And it only gets better from here. **

**Please let me know what you guys thought. I'm on Christmas Break now so I'm hopping I will be able to get a lot more writing done and that means you guys might get chapters up quicker. That depends on feedback though. As always. Ha ha. **

**Next chapter we get more Cyber, more Hammerdown, the twins and Jazz make a mess of things, Optimus goes to see his youngling, and the first part of secret comes out. **

**Remember when I asked if you guys had figured out the name of the series yet? Why it is called what it is? Well you might not be guessing for too much longer.**

**I love it!**

**Please Read and Review. You get chapters faster!**

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

**However the plot and OCs of this story are mine.**

**So the truth starts bubbling to the surface. **

* * *

Chapter 9

Optimus had not been this livid in many, _many_, vorns.

After all he'd seen, done, and struggled though he learned long ago to keep a lid on his temper. Because anger clouded judgment. It lead to stupid mistakes. Something a leader could not make. So he usually kept himself under wraps for the sake of his Autobots. For the sake of Cybertron. Only now every failsafe he'd taught himself through the vorns was absolutely useless as he looked at the screen before him and the words that flashed again and again.

Every bolt in his frame was vibrating with utter fury. His spark screaming out across the severed emptiness that at one time had been the vast, commanding, loving, and trusted bond he has shared with his older brother. His magnificent spark cried out with anger, misunderstanding, and over all pain as he once again found nothing but a cold wall where his brother had once been.

That bastard.

Optimus wanted to tear his slag filled spark out.

The cold Lord of Terror told Shockwave to send one of the vilest creatures on Cybertron to assassinate Prime's youngling and then let the glitch send that message across to any that tried to find out who programmed the vermin.

He would pay. Oh Primus help him, he would _pay_!

The great Prime was so busy trying to keep his anger from pouring out into all his other bonds as it stupidly reached for the sibling link he at one time shared he almost didn't notice the bubbly, very confused at the moment, presence that came striking across the cosmic plane of bonds in response to his fury.

He didn't know it was there until it was pulling at his spark as if begging him to come back. To calm down. To notice that it needed him. When he did take notice he staggered back from the screen in thankful shock only to have Wheeljack catch him.

"Prime?" The inventor questioned frantically.

Optimus was about to tell him it was alright when a comm lit up the air ways.

**"Ratchet to Optimus. You listening, Prime?"**

**"He's awake." **It wasn't a question and any bot that heard the open comm knew it wasn't too. The Prime felt the entire ship let out a breath of relief through their wound tight sparks, and that alone made the leader breath better. The fact that he could feel Bumblebee calling for him did the rest to kill his anger. At least for a moment.

**"Yes, he's awake and he wants you."**

**"On my way."**

"Prime, the viper." Cyber hated to be the reminder of darker thing, but at that point the half that was doing all the talking didn't care. Just like always.

"It can wait." Optimus looked optics with the bot who no longer looked like the soft spoken mech that had come aboard his ship. Though the leader knew why. Hot Rod had told him in a dark, locked, office a secret for his audio receptors only. Prime was painfully aware that he could never let on that he knew Cyber's past. It would only cause problems. Besides, it wasn't his story to tell. Just like when it came to the twins. When Cyber was ready for his story to be know he would tell it. Until then the leader would roll with the punches.

However, it was because he knew Cyber's story that he chose him to be one of the mechs to join his crew for the time being. The small security expert was very gifted at what he did. He could rival Jazz and Prowl, Optimus would dare say. He was a genius when it came to security and defense on top of being a talented ninja. Skills that if a mech did a little digging they would find linked right back to the life he came from. The life he had become better than.

Optimus also felt a bit honored as he stood there before the smaller mech who had so willing agreed to this assignment, and who now stood before him allowing a half of himself he'd sworn away to rise up and dictate who he was for the time being. It was truly a great spark that would compromise their own well being for the good of others. Cyber was willing to be what he hated about himself to protect something that wasn't truly his concern.

Prime wondered if the small mech knew how much he thanked him for that.

"As you wish, Prime." Cyber nodded his head.

"I will stay here with Wheeljack and see if there is anything else we can dig up." Prowl tilted his head toward the screen. "Something is telling me there is more to this."

"Prowl having a feeling?" Perceptor raised an optic ridge. "You mean like a gut feeling? Something not based on logic? Some bot make a note, or alert Ratchet. Something might be wrong."

"Oh mute it." The white and black mech glared as he walked to the monitor.

"Tell, Bumblebee we say 'hi'." Wheeljack cast Optimus a glance. The leader nodded as he made his way out of the lab, but not before he motioned for Cyber to follow him. Pale blue optics narrowed in question for a moment, but he followed nonetheless. Heading out down the halls of _Artemis 1 _the two mechs made way to the medical bay in silence. Something half of Cyber was perfectly fine with, but the other half wasn't.

"You brought me on this ship for a reason. Why did you take me away from that reason?"

Optimus cast a look down to the mech that walked at his side with pale optics staring up at him not even seeming to notice that he was splattered with energon, the life giving substance of another creature rolling down his frame like paint. As much as Prime knew he needed the harsher half of the mech, he also hated it. It felt wrong to look at this Cyber after he had come to know the gentler one. It felt wrong that he was causing this to happen. He was about to answer the question when a voice stopped him.

"Holy Pit, Cyber! What did you do to yourself?"

Both mechs looked up to find Hammerdown standing at the end of the hall before them, his dark blue optics wide with shock. Optimus could feel the utter panic that was shinning in the massive blue mech's spark as he stared down his friend who tensed under the gaze and yet whose spark couldn't seem to care.

"What was necessary." Cyber answered.

Hammer's gaze narrowed.

Stomping down the length of the hall he didn't stop unit he was faceplate to faceplate with the much smaller mech who didn't back down. Not one inch. Optimus stepped back a step half ready to pull the two apart and half curious about just what was going to happen. Hammerdown knew Cyber's past. Optimus was aware. Just as Cyber had known Hammerdown's. It had been Cyber that knocked Hammer on his aft to keep him from taking a swing at Ironhide early. He had known the mech was going to move before even Hide did. He knew his friend that well.

The leader wondered if the same went for Hammerdown.

"'What was necessary' my aft!" Hammer hissed out. "You can do your job and not be . . . ." The mech trailed off his optics turning wearily to the Prime.

Optimus took the meaning.

"I will be in the med bay. Hammer when you are finished please report to the west gate for post and Cyber when you can get yourself cleaned up return to the lab bay." With that Optimus left the two to whatever it was that they needed to say to each other and headed toward the bubbling warmth that reached for him.

Cyber watched the Prime go from around his best friend's massive side before Hammer knocked him hard in the shoulder shoving him backwards.

"What the pit?" Cyber growled.

"Whoever you are," Hammer warned. "Leave. I want my best friend back!"

"Hammer," Cyber sighed.

"No! You don't get to 'Hammer' me! What happened to all that was said in that meeting with Hot Rod, huh? He promised you, you made him, that you could be the Cyber that you liked. Cyber the ninja, the security expert, the bot who was happy to keep my big aft in line and watch borders. Not this Cyber. Not the one you hate!"

Cyber blinked a moment before he was thrust back into a few orns ago.

* * *

_"Ah, two of my favorite mechs." Hot Rod_ _looked over his shoulder to the two mechs that strolled in. "Have a seat."_

_Cyber quietly did as he was told while Hammer wearily hovered just over his shoulder. Both knew something was up, but neither was sure what. Cyber was pretty sure Hammer hadn't done anything stupid lately, at least that he'd been told about, so he was almost positive that they weren't here for another lecture. Yet why they were he hadn't yet put together._

_"What's up, Roddy?" Hammer questioned. "I haven't done anything lately."_

_Hot Rod walked to his chair to take a seat across from his soldiers. "I know, Hammerdown. Surprisingly you're not in trouble for once. Actually, you two have been requested for a short term transfer."_

_"Transfer?" Cyber tilted his head._

_"To _Artemis 1_." Hot Rod clarified. _

_Silence hung in the air for a nano-klick as the commander held the optics of his soldiers before it was broken by tempers spiking._

_"Prime, wants _me _on his ship!?" Hammerdown's jaw hung open as he stared at the smaller red and gold commander before him. The mech had to be joking. Prime's ship? Seriously?! Ironhide was on that ship!_

_"Yes," Hot Rod nodded. "He has specifically requested you and Cyber."_

_"There is no way in Pit I'm getting on that ship!" Hammer snarled. Spinning on his heels he was about to storm out of the room in absolute refusal when Cyber's voice halted him._

_"You are a soldier, Hammer." The small pearl colored mech didn't even turn to see that he had stalled his massive best friend in his tracks. "Have you forgotten that?"_

_Hammer growled low in his chest. "No."_

_"Soldiers follow orders."_

_"Stop the short sentences with me!" Hammer huffed as he drug his feet back to the table. "I'm not some random mech you don't like to speak too."_

_"Then stop acting like some spoiled youngling."_

_"Speaking of younglings." Hot Rod cut in. "He's kind of what this is about."_

_That got both mechs' attention. _

_"The transfer is to help guard the youngling Prime found a while ago. Remember that?"_

_Cyber raised in optic ridge. "No bot has forgotten that." _

_"So Optimus Prime has gotten desperate enough to ask Ironhide's former student—who hates him by the way—and Hot Rod's security director to come and help guard his adopted youngling?" Hammer snorted._

_"Sure," Hot Rod sighed rubbing a hand over his faceplate. "You could word it like that I guess. A couple more I'll pick out and transfer, but you two he requested." _

_"And why is that?" It was then that Cyber started to get suspicious. For the start of the conversation he had been too worried about Hammer being stuck with Ironhide to think about much else, but now that he was aware that Hammer was just going to have to deal with it if Prime wanted them, he wondered. Just why did _he_ get requested?_

_Hammer, sure Cyber got that. Ironhide trained the massive blue mech many vorns ago. He was just as good, maybe better, than Prime's weapons specialist at kicking aft. Despite the two mechs hating each other for stupid reasons there was purpose behind choosing Hammerdown. Cyber though, as far as most mechs knew he was just some short, light built, radar wise mech that just so happened to be a skilled Circuit-Su master. What did Prime want with him?_

_Suddenly the smaller mech narrowed his optics. Hot Rod shifted under his gaze ever so slightly making the white mech tense even further. At that moment he had a better question. Just what _part_ of him did Prime want?_

_"Hammerdown is one of the best battle strategist I have, not to mention you can seriously kick aft Hammer." Hammer nodded to his commander's compliment. "And you Cyber are the best security director I've ever had. You notice little holes and weak spots that no other bot could ever dream to find in defense plans. Not to mention you're handy in a fight. Prime is aware of your talents and he needs them for the time being."_

_Cyber crossed his arms over his chest as his glare only grew colder. _

_Hammer caught the ice like air coming off his best buddy the moment it started and though it took him a moment to put it together when he did his own optics widened before they narrowed to slits while he swung his heated gaze to Hot Rod._

_"And that's all he wants from Cyber, right?" The frontliner growled. "Nothing else?"_

_"He doesn't know anything else." Hot Rod assured the two mechs._

_Cyber wasn't convinced. _

_With as dark as his secrets and as vital as some of his hidden skills were he had wondered a time or two if Hot Rod had told Optimus Prime where it was that he'd come from. Told what he had been. He trusted the hot headed commander with his life, the white mech would gladly follow any order to the letter for him, but this one time he was hesitant. He'd sworn off his past. Sworn off the part of him that might be the better help to keep the youngling alive._

_"Hot Rod," Cyber spoke up softly. Lowering his optics to the table he couldn't force himself to meet his commander's gaze. "I cannot be, _him, _again. No matter how much _he _might be of help. I just can't."_

_"You don't have to be, Cyber." Roddy leaned forward in his chair making the smaller pearl white mech he was lucky enough to call friend look at him. "I wouldn't ask that of you. That is not my place. I might be your commander, but I'm Cyber's commander. Not _his_. It's Cyber's skills that I recommended and Cyber that I think can help protect Bumblebee."_

_"You're sure?" Cyber was weary of this whole idea, but was trying to remind himself that he was in fact a soldier. He choose to fight the Autobots' fight. Which meant that he had to follow orders. Even orders he didn't like._

_"I give you my word."_

* * *

His word.

Cyber shook his head at the thought. Yeah, some good that did.

As much as he respected Roddy as a leader and valued him as a friend he should have known the promise was just empty words. There was no guarantee that he could have possibly made. The promise was no better than the one he himself had made all those vorns ago. The promise he had broken that in the end cost Nightlight her life.

He could still feel her slipping away under his fingers. Could still see the tears glittering in her soft blue optics. She had been so purely good, honest, and kind that from the beginning he knew he didn't deserve her. Him, just a tribal vagabond, sparked and built to kill. The likes of him were no better than assassins. They were murders for profit. Yet she had loved him.

She, a high rank born femme, from a classed family and good breeding. She loved the lowly likes of him. She had begged him to leave the dwindling ranks of the tribe and become something better. She had known he could be better. He had tried to do it for her. He had promised that he would change, but he hadn't. He kept taking jobs from the Leader. Kept killing soldiers to fill his own coin account. Because the half of him that at the time had been a whole didn't know any other way.

But when she found out, and spoke out, not even he could save her from the Leader's wrath. He lost her. Because at the time he couldn't make himself care enough to stop for her.

He swore to her cold spark that he would no longer be the monster that now stood in the hall before Hammerdown.

Yet here he stood.

Optics low to the floor Cyber sighed turning his focus to anything but the mech that pulled him out of that Pit hole of a bar where he had fled to drink his spark away. The mech that hauled his stupid aft into an Autobot enlisting office after both of them got cleaned up. Most thought it was Cyber that talked Hammerdown into joining the army. That it was Cyber that got the angry mech back on his feet after vorns of hating Ironhide, but it wasn't.

They helped each other. Kept each other in check. Like only real friends could do. And in the end it was Hammerdown that really made the choice to be something better.

Cyber had wanted it for vorns, but he hadn't known how to find it.

He owed becoming something better for his dead sparkmate to Hammerdown. Which was why he couldn't bring himself to cut the mech out of his spark like he was doing with everything else when this half of him took over.

Which was why the angry gaze made him regret what he was allowing himself to be.

"You don't have to do this." Hammer said. "We can protect him and not have your . . . skills."

"My _skills _are needed, Hammer." Cyber sighed. "And I can't change it now. Not until I see that Pit-spawned glitch dead."

"We had a deal, Cyber." Hammer crossed his arms over his chest raising an optics ridge waiting for Cyber to meet his gaze. When he did the big blue mech went on. "We keep each other in check. That's how it's been since I kicked your stupid aft in that bar all those vorns ago and we both got thrown in jail. Ever since that long spark wrenching trapped-behind-prison-bars-talk we've had each other's back. You kept me in line earlier with Ironhide, and I thank you for that my brother. Now it's my turn to keep you in line. You hate this side of you. You do! As much as I want to keep the youngling safe as well it can be done without the tribe version of Cyber, okay? I mean can you see yourself? Seriously?"

Cyber's optics ran over his energon coated frame and he cringed ever so slightly. It had been a very long time since he looked like this. "I don't really want too." He admitted.

"Then stop." Hammerdown pleaded.

"You think we can stop Megatron from taking the helpless creature without this part of me?"

"It's Optimus fraggin' Prime we're talking about here!" Hammer snorted. "And Ironhide, and Prowl, and Jazz, and those Pit-spawned lunatics the Twins, and every other bot on this ship, and then there is us. Come on,_ us_! Old Megs ain't gonna know what hit him!"

Cyber couldn't stop the chuckle that worked its way up out of his vocal processor. "Have you ever considered entering politics, Hammer? You're pretty convincing when you want to be."

"Nah," Hammer waved him off throwing an arm around his thin shoulders as he turned his friend toward the wash-rooms. "Primus knows I was meant for nothing other than soldiering."

"I changed." Cyber pointed out as he felt some of the control he held over who he was come back within his grasp. He knew by no means did this little pep-talk mean he wasn't going to be leaning toward his darker talents to make the Decepticons pay. No, he was going to make Shockwave wish he was never even sparked. However, he remembered now that when he sank back into that half of him he was no better than the very murders he hated.

"You've got way more processor on your shoulders than I do though." Hammer laughed as he shoved the small pearl mech into the wash-room then went in search of his guard post without looking back.

Optimus pushed the hissing doors to the med-bay open a little faster than need be simply because his optics needed proof of the warmth that called to him. However, what he found curled up on Ratchet's surgery berth clutching Ironhide's fingers both thrilled and terrified him all in one nano-klick.

The thing he had to keep reminding himself of was that the youngling was awake.

Now he just needed to determine how much damage that damned viper had done.

"Optimus!" The tired chirp pulled at his spark making the powerful mech flinch a bit. Strolling into the bay he smiled to his beloved little youngling who reached up for him as he stopped at the side of the berth.

"Hello, little Bumblebee." He almost purred rubbing a careful finger between the tiny mech's twitching antennas. Bee grasped his little hands for Optimus, but the wires and tubes still restricted his movements making him huff in annoyance. "How are you feeling?"

"Want them off." Bee whined beginning to yank at a wire in his side only to have Ratchet swat his hand away.

"Stop that," The medic scolded. He didn't want to give Bumblebee anymore sedatives, but if he didn't stop yanking at the things still trying to pump the venom out of him he wasn't going to have much of a choice. "You have to have them, Squirt. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Stop lecturing him, Ratch." Ironhide said as he kept a grip on one of Bee's hands.

"Don't like them!" Bee snapped snuggling closer to Hide. "Want up!"

"Bee," Ratchet sighed. There wasn't much the medic could do at that point. There were too many I.V., anti-venoms, and energon transfers hooked into the youngling to let him be off the berth. That didn't stop his pitiful little whines from tearing at Ratchet's spark though. "You have too."

Ironhide glanced up to his friend's optics with pleading optics of his own. "Can't I hold him? Just to keep him still. He's going to rip them all out if he doesn't get what he wants. We all know that."

Ratchet met Hide's tired, worried optics before he glanced to Optimus who stood at the side of the berth watching with the lack of control visibly wearing at him. None of this was easy for any of them. The fact that they had allowed this to happen. The terrifying realization that they had come about a nano-klick away from losing Bee forever wasn't something any of them were going to forget any time soon. Not to mention Ratchet could see the underlying fury glittering in Optimus's optics telling the mech that knew him so well he'd found out what was behind the virus-viper. Not that they all didn't already know. It just stung a little worse to know for sure.

Relenting, Ratchet nodded maneuvering wires and tubes trying to make sure they didn't pull to tight and yank out of the youngling as he made it to where Ironhide could pick up his charge gently, weary of the mended puncture wounds in his right side, and lean back in his chair against the wall with Bumblebee clutching at the thick armor over his spark chamber. The quiet, pained, whimper of the tiny mech who just didn't understand why or what was happening ripped Ironhide apart inside. He'd give anything to take it away, anything to stop those pitiful little optics from gazing up at him with confusion, anything to be able to wrap his spark around that bubbling warmth and never let the universe in to ever harm it again, but he couldn't. No more so than Optimus could. The bot who was now kneeling beside him the powerful mech's fingers steadily rubbing tiny circles on Bee's head.

The great Optimus Prime. Commander of the Autobots. Heir to Sentinel Prime. Even he could do nothing, but try and comfort the damage already done. He doubted any bot around him knew how much that shattered him inside. Not even Ironhide. The mech who had been at his side through it all. Been his friend. Was as close or closer to the warmth that was Bumblebee than even he was. Even he couldn't feel how much his spark was crumbling, because Optimus had thrown the walls back up around himself to keep out the utter nothingness his spark reached for between him and his older brother. That and because he was afraid of Bee finding it. The youngling had already called him back which meant he knew something was wrong. The tiny little creature pained and confused had still put the leader first in his thoughts. Reaching out for the pain that glowed inside him trying to stop it. All while he was in much more.

The sedatives Ratchet had pumped into the youngling were starting to take a bigger effect though. Now that he was cuddled up against his guardian with Optimus within reaching distance he let his tried optics drift back closed very sure that when he opened them again his beloved bots were still going to be there. Even though he really didn't quite get what was going on, he trusted his guardian and his Optimus. Not to mention he knew Ratchet would never let him hurt for long.

"Well?" Optimus questioned after a moment of watching Bumblebee to make sure the youngling was deep in the safety of recharge. Pushing himself to his feet he crossed his thick arms over his chest as Ratchet walked around the berth to lean on the side closest to his best friends. Ironhide shifted ever so slightly as he leaned his tired frame against the wall while his fingers subconsciously stroked his little charge between his pulled down antennas more so to comfort the massive mech than the recharging youngling. "What's the diagnostic?"

"The diagnostic?" Ratchet's deep blue optics narrowed with anger before he turned away in a huff. "The diagnostic is I have no Primus damned idea why in Pit he's still breathing!"

Both mechs went very tense at that.

"He shouldn't be. Yet he is." To any other bot the tone the yellow and red medic was using that was somewhere between a yell and a quiet threat sounded like he didn't care. That the words he was saying didn't bother him. However, they'd be wrong.

Very wrong.

And Optimus, along with Ironhide were among those few bots that could catch the sheer panic that Ratchet was trying to cover with that tone. Only they could see the slight shaking that was in his fingers.

Shaking.

Ratchet, the medic of doom, Hatchet, Wrench, Ratch, the best damn medic in the universe, was shaking.

"Do you know that his spark stopped?" Ratchet hissed making both mechs flinch. "That he fraggin' died on this berth! Do you know that for seven nano-klicks I couldn't get his spark beating again! I fraggin' lost him! I thought he was gone, and then by some miracle of Primus it started up again. I don't know how, I'm no way about to question it, but I don't know how! He should be offline, you too are very aware of that! You were aware of that when you were breaking down in the hall. You were aware of it when Hide kicked in the damn door and found the viper. Half the energon in his system right now is contaminated. It's going to take me a Decacycle to get it all out. He has about four slaggin' viruses that alone should have shut him down for good, and he's systems are so maxed out with the venom that they should have stopped functioning before we even made it to your room Ironhide. Yet here he is. Still online, not anywhere near fixed but online against all reason, and I don't know why that is or how to keep it that way."

Silence followed the medic's outburst.

That is until a quiet whimper rang out from the recharging youngling. Ironhide's focus returned to his charge gently shushing him as he wrapped his powerful spark around the tired glow that was Bee's until the confusion and pain were just a numb throb so the youngling could rest. Optimus did the same, his magnificent spark finally obeying him as he pushed out at the blackness that snuck in around the edges of Bumblebee's spark. However, the mech's Gift spiked in curiosity as he banished the blackness from the youngling's spark when all of a sudden he felt what almost seemed to be another presence among the cosmic field that lay within Bumblebee's spark that was working equally as hard as he and Hide were to keep the pain away. The strange feeling made Optimus turn his complete attention to the tiny creature that lay recharging in the shadow of Hide's massive cannons.

Just what in Primus's name was that?

Stepping forward with narrow optics he didn't even hear Ratchet question him as he stood glaring down at the recharging youngling. He didn't even hear Hide's gruff demand to know what in Pit he was glaring for as he all but hid his charge from the Prime's view. All he focused on was the warmth that curled tiredly in the center of Bee's spark where it was protected by the equal efforts of his guardian, Optimus, and even Ratchet who shared a strong bond with Bee as well, but none of that was what had Prime on edge.

No, what had him seriously questioning his processor was the underling spark pulse that seemed to beat just under Bee's. It was hardly noticeable. _Hide_ probably hadn't even felt it. For it echoed just half a nano-klick after the youngling's as if it was a part of him and yet it felt different enough that the mech's Gift knew that somehow it didn't belong there. At least he was pretty sure. The Prime was almost certain that it hadn't always been there.

That something was very, very wrong.

Tilting his head in confusion Prime dug deeper with his Gift into the spark that he loved yet confused him so. The brilliant warmth that was Bumblebee's spark was a bit dimmer than normal with fatigue and the under lying traces of agony not soon forgotten by the spark. The fact alone unnerved the leader, but what really knocked him back mentally was the sudden wall that was flung up to meet his curious prodding.

A wall that didn't feel like Bumblebee.

It forced Optimus back with a strength so similar to and yet so different from his own Gift that the Prime gasped in surprise as his talent was pushed away. He would have stumbled at the sheer impossibility of his Gift being overpowered had it not been for Ratchet grabbing a hold of him and giving him a good shake.

"Prime!" The yellow and red medic shook him once more trying to get the leader's optics to focus. "Snap out of it, damn it!"

Optimus blinked several times trying to bring the world back into focus as he found himself looking around the medical bay only to find Ironhide staring up at him in confusion from where he sat still holding his youngling while Ratchet gave him another shake to make him meet the medic's gaze.

"What's wrong with you?" Ratchet snapped.

Optimus blinked once more trying to figure out what he'd just felt when he realized that as magically as the strange presence had been detectable it vanished as if it had never even been there at all.

_How is that even—?_

"Ratchet, check his spark monitor."

The medic was still for a moment, looking the mech over through narrowed optics as it seemed he was about to yell that this was his med bay and he was CMO and that Prime had no right to be ordering him around in here before it clicked.

"What did you feel?" Ratchet whispered his tone full of dread.

"Just check it." Optimus shot him a glance.

"Optimus?" Ironhide questioned as Ratchet scrambled around the berth to start typing away at the monitor that was currently reading the beats of Bumblebee's spark. "What's wrong?"

"Did you not feel it?" The Prime met his friend's optics.

"What are you talking about?" Ironhide shook his head, his concern for his charge spiking by the nano-klick.

"Prime, nothing is different with his spark. He's tried and weak, but his spark is as fine as can be expected at present." Ratchet looked up from the monitor.

Optimus shook his head, slowly leaning back against the surgery berth to support his weight. It wasn't possible.

It didn't make any sense.

One moment it was as if something besides Bee had forced the Prime's Gift away from the youngling's spark and then it was just gone. Optimus reached forward again cautiously feeling of his youngling's spark only to find that it was the same at it has always been.

Bright, warm, and welcoming. Strange, with its talent and strength, but familiar to the mech with its pureness. It was Bumblebee pure and simple. He was all that wrapped up in an adorable little package, his spark a reflection of it.

Now though, there wasn't a trace of anything else, not the double beat, or the power that forced Prime away. It left Optimus leaning against a berth pretty sure he'd lost his damn mind.

"Maybe I'm the one you need to be doing diagnostics on, Ratchet." He admitted quietly as he raised a hand to rub his faceplate. Had he imagined it?

No, he couldn't have.

It was there, and yet . . . it couldn't be.

He was Bee, nothing more, nothing less. He had always been like nothing else in the universe, Prime was well aware, but he'd never had the strength to push Optimus's Gift away. He'd never even tried to keep anybot out of his spark. He was curious and clever. Wanting to know all he possibility could. Which meant he let everything in.

Optimus had always been able to read and feel the youngling's emotions along with everything else about him. Than that wall had forced him away only to vanish without a trace not leaving one thing for the mech to cling too as an explanation.

Not a thing.

Because no bot had ever been able to force his Gift away. Ever.

Suddenly, Optimus's optics flashed with memory.

That wasn't true. There had been one mech. Vorns and vorns ago. One bot out there in the universe that had had the power to best the Gift of the Primes. One of few left that held a power most didn't even think was real. Those that Sentinel Prime himself had said were false deities.

The object of the only thing Optimus had ever truly not agreed with his Sire on.

The Guild.

A scanner waved before his optics bringing Optimus back to this time.

"Well," Ratchet started with the under lying tone of a medic about to whack a bot over the head with something pointy. "You're exhausted and you haven't had enough energon to feed a cyber-duck in two orns, but other than that you're fine. If you don't count the fact you are currently giving Hide and me a spark-attack."

Optimus shook his head to clear it of the horrifying impossibility that wanted to drown his processor. "I don't understand."

"That makes three of us." Ironhide raised in optic ridge. "Now how about you start saying something so we can all be on the same page of misunderstanding at least and you can stop glaring at Bumblebee like he's fraggin' Megatron!"

Optimus met his friend's gaze. "Was I glaring at him?"

"Yeah, you kind of were." Hide nodded. "Want to tell me why?"

"And you better make it fast before I shut you down manually to make sure there isn't something really wrong with you." Ratchet warned.

"I felt something," Prime studied the pristine clean floor of the medical bay. "Something that shouldn't have been there."

"What? In his spark?" Ironhide's grip tightened around his recharging youngling.

"Yes,"

"As in your Gift felt something?" Ratchet crossed his thick arms over his chest.

"As in my Gift was forced out." Optimus said.

He was answered by silence for a good couple of klicks as both mechs just stared at him kind of dumbly.

"That's—" Ratchet cut himself off with a shake of his head trying to come up with a logical response, but he found none.

"Not possible." Optimus finished. "Yes, I know. Yet it happened."

"He forced you out?" Ironhide turned his optics to the youngling in his arms. "He's recharging, he couldn't have done that. Not at all in the first place, but really not in recharge."

"That's the thing." Optimus ran a hand over his faceplate. "It didn't feel like him."

"Wha—well if it wasn't him who the Pit was it!?" Ratchet snapped, his confusion irritating him.

"I don't know." Optimus lifted is gaze with dread flashing behind his optics. "But we're going to have to find out. Soon."

The hiss of the bay doors opening drew the conversation to a halt along with the three mechs' optics to the door and the trio that entered. For a moment not a bot said a word as they all stared back at each other in utter confusion until all Pit broke loose.

"YOU SLAGGIN' FOOLS!" Ratchet bellowed the scanner in his hand flinging across the room making Optimus flinch and Ironhide cover his youngling's audio receptors. "WHAT IN PIT DID YOU TWO DO NOW!?"

"Hey, hey, cool it Ratchet!" Jazz threw up his hands only daring to stand between the fuming medic and the two most common occurrences in the med bay for a few nano-klicks before the scanner went flying past his head. However, he wasn't stupid enough to be in Hatchet's way when he was trying to offline the twins so he did what any sensible mech would do at that point. He sprinted across the bay.

"It wasn't our fault I swear!" Sideswipe whined as his brother, who had been supporting his weight to keep the injured mech on his feet, dropped his beloved little brother and bolted from the path of the wrench that went rocketing toward his much more beloved paint job.

"AS IF I FRAGGIN' BELIEVE THAT!" The throwing had really started then. Though no bot really knew where the Hatchet got the buzz saw he chunked after Sunstreaker.

"Ratchet!" Sunstreaker pleaded as a saw bounced off his injured shoulder. "The youngling! Remember the youngling!"

"YOU LEAVE HIM THE PIT OUT OF THIS YOU DAMNED GLITCH!"

"But you're gonna wake him up!" Sideswipe pleaded as he flung himself away from Ratchet's grasp to cower behind Jazz who simple dropped to the ground letting the flinging screw driver nail Sides in the faceplate.

"ONE YOUNGLING TO PUT BACK TOGETHER IS FRAGGIN' ENOUGH! I DON'T NEED YOU TWO ADDING TOO IT!"

"In their defense, Wheeljack did say the prototype blaster was functional!" Jazz squeaked as he jumped from between the fuming medic and the red warrior who backed himself to the wall across the bay grabbing a data pad from a nearby berth holding it before his faceplate as if that was going to save him from Ratchet's furry while his brother made himself as small as possible behind a berth across the room.

"WHAT?" Ratchet swung back to glare at the silver ninja who was currently hiding behind Ironhide's shoulder and the youngling in his arms knowing that Ratchet wouldn't go anywhere near them.

Ironhide and Optimus knew better than to get in Ratchet's way when he was blowing off steam. Even if Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, two of the most lethal warriors the Autobot army had, were currently hiding behind berths and data pads with energon leaking from their frames and scorch marks smearing their paint as Ratchet looked pretty ready to offline them both.

Optimus knew well that Ratchet would never _really _hurt the pair . . . at least not too much.

He not-so-secretly cared about them too much to really hurt them. However, that wouldn't stop the short tempered medic from reminding them that they spent way too much time getting put back together in his medical bay because of their own stupidity, bravery, dumb luck, or whatever it was that kept the precision killers miraculously alive through all the stunts they pulled even if they didn't always walked out without a few dents and slit wires.

"Uh . . . ." Jazz trailed off trying to figure out what he'd said to turn the Hatchet's fury on him.

"You actually let Wheeljack put that new blaster out!?" Ratchet's toned quieted when Bee turned in Ironhide's arms disturbed by all the yelling and yelping than slipped back into nothingness. Aware of his surrounding again the medic pulled in his anger as he turned from the poorly hid red warrior to glare fully at Jazz.

"Prowl." Jazz held his hands up backing up until he hit the wall. "Prowl let him not me."

"So you mean to tell me," Ratchet growled. "That while every other bot on this ship is either trying to help figure out how that damned viper got in or helping Wheeljack decode it you three have been down in the shooting range blowing each other up?"

"Umm . . . ." Sunny and Sides cast each other a glance hoping the other had a better excuse and when both shrugged they cast a hopeful glance over to Jazz.

After all it was his idea.

They had been going out of their processors while they waited with nothing to take their anger out on so Jazz shoved them both down to the shooting range to keep them from running out of the ship to find Megatron to try and offline him themselves.

The silver mech knew that not even they could pull that off on their own so he had been trying to keep them busy. And it had been going fine. Until the stupid blaster blew up. Now here they were in Ratchet's med bay once again needing to be patched up when he had other things to worry about. Not to mention it _was_ the twins.

They spent more than enough time in here.

"It was my idea." Jazz admitted.

Ratchet swung his glare back to the ninja. "Really? And why was that, dare I ask?"

"I had to keep them busy somehow." Jazz shrugged. "You wouldn't let anyone else in. They needed distracting. Maybe I did a little bit too, okay? Sorry."

Ratchet's anger faded a little at that.

He knew they had been worried. When he caught sight of the twins outside the bay when he let Ironhide in only to have to drug him he thought he might have to do the same with them, but Sunstreaker's pride had stopped that.

While Sides was more than willing to show the universe how much he adored the youngling, Sunny still tried to hide it. He failed miserably, but he tried nonetheless. Which was why he picked his little brother up off the ground and hauled him down the hall without a glance back once Ratchet said Bee was stable. He wouldn't show how much he had been afraid. So he turned the fear into anger, just like Sunstreaker always did. Because he could handle anger better.

Fear wasn't something that worked well for the hotheaded golden warrior.

He hated it.

So he refused to have it.

Sideswipe wasn't much better than his twin. He'd opened up more when Bee came along. He showed his affection openly for the tiny yellow mech, but he was just as bad as Sunny was when it came to how he handled fear.

He got angry, violent, and usually ended up hurting himself in some stupid way. Just because he refused to handle his emotions any way but poorly. Something Ratchet had been trying change in both Sides and his twin for vorns now. Something he thought maybe since they came clean about the past not long ago he would be able to finally accomplish.

Sadly though, it wasn't really working out that way.

They were still guarded, still scared to let their sparks be open to too much, still only willing to be the slightest bit transparent when one of them was sitting on his surgery berth.

Shaking his head Ratchet pointed to the back section of the bay. "Just go sit your stupid afts down, and I'll get to you in a klick. Damn! Where's First Aid when I need him?"

"He'd still be with Magnus." Sides put in trying to lighten the mood only to have Ratchet toss another tool his way.

"I swear to Primus one of these orns I'm gonna take out your freaking vocal processor! Get the Pit over there and mute it!"

"Yes, Ratchet." Sides quietly did as he was told joining his wiser, quieter, brother across the bay as Jazz decided it was once again safe to come out from where he hid behind Ironhide.

Ratchet gave the silver mech a glare before said object of his harshness turned his attention to the recharging youngling. "He's going to be okay, right?"

The medic sighed. "It's going to take awhile."

"How long is awhile?" Sunstreaker whispered his underlying fear sneaking out just a bit.

"Awhile." Optimus answer.

With that Ratchet went to see to the bleeding twins while Jazz decided to make his break and go help Prowl with the viper. With the conversation they had been in the middle of halted for the moment Optimus knelt as his best friend's side running a careful finger between Bee's flickering antennas as Hide's protective arm tightened around him.

Lifting his troubled optics to his commander and friend Ironhide just quietly looked for a long moment while Optimus returned the gaze before they both turned their attention back to Bee.

_"This is the beginning of something very bad isn't it?" _Ironhide pushed out with his spark to the strong bound he shared with the Prime catching his best friend's attention.

_"I'm afraid it is." _Optimus admitted.

Hide's spark growled with anger at the notion of losing the youngling he'd just gotten back._ "I'm not about to give him up. Whatever wants him is going through me first." _

_"That makes two of us, Ironhide." _Optimus's spark burned with the same fire as the leader nodded than looked to the other mechs across the room bickering and getting smacked. _"Along with many more."_

* * *

Crumbling pillars scorched by fires that raged long ago and surrounded by inky blankness stood like ominous warning flares among the wasteland on the outskirts of Nova Cronum. Hidden in the shadows among the broken structures a menacing laugh could be heard rising up from the undisturbed silence of the ghost that haunted this place.

A laugh even the ghost feared.

Shockwave's evil red optic was glittering with amusement as he stared down at the data pad in his clutches. His assassin had served him well.

"Well?" The whimper like hiss echoed around the silence disturbed only by the emotionless mech's laughter. "Did that stupid drone kill the runt?"

"No." Shockwave replied scrolling the data pad to receive all he could from his offlined experiment.

"What do you mean no!?" Starscream slammed his wicked claws into the side of a falling wall sending it crumbling to his feet. "What are so happy about then? You failed!"

"Data retrieved that was previously unknown is no failure."

"I call a still breathing runt a failure! What about the plan!?"

Shockwave's optic narrowed to a harsh slit as he lifted his well built frame from his seat to glare at Starscream who shrank back under the glare. "Do not think for a minute you worthless glitch that I can't do this without you. Never question my plan. We will have what we want in the end. Prime's precious little youngling is near death because of my actions, a fact he will blame Megatron for. Step one is complete. Now only two steps remain and when this task is finished mighty Megatron will be no more. It will be as we want it."

Playing off his fear of the evil mech by laughing and backing away Starscream replied. "And then I will rule the Decepticons."

Shockwave moved in a flash. Pinning the weak fool to the ground with a subspace retrieved dagger pressed firmly in Starscream's neck drawing energon as he pushed. The brown and black mech flailed under the silver one's grasp trying to free himself and apologize at the same time before Shockwave did what the other knew he was very capable of.

"Forgive me! Forgive me! How foolish of me to say! WE! WE! I meant WE! We will rule the Decepticons!"

"No." Shockwave growled out. "_I_ will rule and you will once again be nothing!"

Shoving himself away Shockwave returned to his task of taking in all his assassin had learned while the other mech lifted himself from the ground with glares digging into the silver mech's back as he rubbed his slit neck.

"_We_ will see." Starscream hissed under his breath before he rocketed into the sky heading back to the post he was supposed to be guarding.

* * *

**And it keeps building.**

**Weeeeeellll, what did you think?**

**Who saw that coming? I think some of you might have. **

**Anyway, once again thank you for the reviews I love every one! **

**Next chapter might be up before next weekend as a Christmas present. However, it depends on how much I get done and how many of you wonderful readers out there grace me with your thoughts and feelings.**

**By the way . . . I told you Cyber's story was dark. It was kind of fun writing Hammerdown as the level headed on of the two for a change though. Even if he doesn't like it. Cyber is right he so could have had a future in politics. You know if horrible things hadn't of happened . . . .**

**However, the next chapter is one of my favorites so far because it is Sunny and Sides galore! So all you out there that love the twins as much as I do I have a feeling you will enjoy the next chapter. Remember it comes faster if you review! *hint* *hint* **

**Here's a little something to bait you with until then.**

**It involves sketch pads, card games, and even more secrets reviled along with a full on twin temper tantrum. Oh how I love it!**

**Please Read and Review!**

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers blah, blah, blah.**

**However, this craziness is mine so yeah.**

**Note: I am not reasonable for any injuries the adorableness of little Bumblebee might cause. Such as hurt cheeks from smiling or side aches from laughing. Nor am I reasonable for the twins. They and their story have a mind of their own. They are lunatics. Emotionally scarred lunatics. Though I love them. **

**Proceed to the cuteness at own risk! **

* * *

Chapter 10

Bumblebee sat in a pile of fuzzy blankets wrapped tightly around him and the seven or eight wires that were still very annoyingly attached to him as he laid the card down on the soft berth. Casting his slightly clouded with pain killer optics up to the red warrior who was sitting backwards in a chair at the end of the berth with a handful of his own cards the little mech watched Sides' raise an optic ridge at the sight of the blue Four of Space card. Sides shifted his cards around quite dramatically before laying down the counter card that was the red Four of Static.

Bee pouted at the sight of the card that beat his.

Sideswipe chuckled lightly offering the youngling a grin. "Sorry Half Pint, but I can't just _let _you win."

Bee glared playfully at him for a moment before turning his attention back to his cards.

Sunstreaker snorted in amusement as he darkened a line on his sketch. The golden warrior sat in a chair facing the pair of mechs with his feet propped up on the berth as he sketched the scene before him. If the door to the med bay hadn't been locked and the only other bots around him hadn't been Bee, Sides, Ratchet and Wheeljack his sketch pad never would have left his quarters, but since it was just these mechs Sunny was willing to risk pulling out his secret talent.

It had been a while since he'd picked up a charcoal pencil, and it had been even longer since Sideswipe had seen him willing to show his drawing to another bot besides the red warrior. However, it _was_ Bumblebee, and he kind of _was_ the exception to all applied rules.

Which was why he wasn't in total quarantine right now.

Like he should be.

The lecture about that was still ringing in the twins' audio receptors, but not even Ratchet had a hard enough spark to cut the youngling off from the members of his glitchy family. So a compromise had been established. Bumblebee couldn't—on penalty of death by any tool at Ratchet's disposal to any mech foolish enough to try it—leave the medical bay, nor Ratchet's sight until he was one hundred and fifty percent better. If that agreement was maintained—the punishment and requirements stretching even to Ironhide and Optimus, who had both thrown quite an amusing fit about it—than Bee was allowed visitors and Hide would be allowed to stay with him at night.

It wasn't something any mech on board _Artemis 1_ was all that happy about—no they kind of hated it—but each knew that this was the only way he was going to get better. That and it had been agreed that the safest place for him right now was the medical bay.

The other option, no bot wanted.

Sunstreaker's thoughts darkened as the spark wrenching conversation from the night before flashed across his processor.

* * *

_"There is nothing?" Optimus asked in shock as he stared down the crowded table at Cyber, Wheeljack, Perceptor, and Prowl. "Nothing at all?"_

_"Unfortunately, that is correct." Prowl nodded._

_"Not even another code to mock us." Wheeljack slammed a fist into the sleek silver surface. "That stupid code is unbreakable." _

_And for once a statement like that wasn't corrected by Prowl. A fact that had a few mech's raising their optic ridges at the white and black mech before finally Sideswipe spoke up._

_"What, aren't you going to say that 'nothing is unbreakable that is illogical'?" The red warrior baited._

_"For once it seems the illogical is logical." Prowl's optics twitched just the slightest bit, and Jazz patted his friend on the shoulder. _

_"It's okay, Prowler. Even you can't be right about everything."_

_"The programming is in a language I've never even seen." Cyber sighed as he stared down at his freshly scrubbed clean hands. He still wasn't sure why he'd been asked to this meeting with Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, the twins, Jazz, Wheeljack, Perceptor, and Prowl. Sure he'd helped with the code, or at least a part of him had, but this wasn't his place. The youngling wasn't his closely held treasure. He liked the tiny mech, all that met him did, but he didn't feel that he should have a say in the sway of his destiny. "It's Cybertronian, but it's ancient." _

_"Even if we managed to figure out some way to decode it we probably wouldn't even be able to read the programs." Perceptor sighed. "It's likely they are in the same language. The only clue we have is what dear old Shockwave left us, nothing else."_

_"We all know Megatron ordered that viper sent here." Sunstreaker growled from where he sat tense in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, his foot tapping irritably, and his spark still twisting in fear he didn't want to admit too. Ratchet had brought both him and his brother along to the meeting after the medic patched them up from Wheeljack's stupid blaster blowing up in their faces. _

_Sunstreaker made a mental note to knock the wacky scientist over the head later for that one._

_For now though, Sunny was glad he got to be a part of what was going on with Half Pint, but it was hard for him to sit there in a conference room and talk around what they all knew was going to have to be done. Megatron knew about Bee, he tried to kill Bee, and he was _going_ to try again._

_That left the Autobots with few options. _

_The truth was very much out, and now they had to figure out what they were going to do about it._

_"He's right." Sideswipe added quietly. "And sorry if it pisses anybot off, but we let this happen. We saw that damned picture, we knew he knew, and all we did was what double guards and call in some back up? It's us that screwed up, Prime."_

_"I'm aware of that, Sideswipe." Optimus sighed. "But we cannot change the past. All we can do now is learn from it."_

_ "How bad is Lil' Bee, Ratch?"Jazz asked carefully. _

_"He's not coming off those transfers or monitors for at least a Decacycle." Ratchet said. "I've got to get all the venom, viruses, and whatever else that thing did out of his systems. That is going to take time. To fast of a system sweep, or too many antibodies will only hurt him worse. He doesn't have the immunity to handle too much too fast." _

_A few silent nods were the only way the mechs knew to respond to that leaving them all quietly looking around at one another, to Prime, for some kind of answer._

_"Prime," Prowl spoke up from the end of the table his tone dripping dread. "You know where this leaves us." _

_Optimus's bright blue optics narrowed as he studied his second-in-command. Yes, he knew. He just didn't want to think about it._

_Ironhide's low growl did the thinking for him at that moment though. "NO!"_

_"It is the only logical course of action." Prowl tried to calm the massive black mech's anger, but Hide was already fuming as he gripped the arms of his chair sending death threats Prowl's way with his optics._

_"I said fraggin' no!"_

_"Wait 'no' what?" Sideswipe leaned forward glancing around. "What are you two bickering about?"_

_"Prowl, that's not logical it's glitchy!" Ratchet snarled._

_"It is something Megatron thinks we will not do." Prowl pointed out._

_"That's because I'm not gonna let it happen!" Ironhide hissed._

_"Prowl, I can't do that." Optimus sighed._

_"Do what?" Sunstreaker leaned forward like his brother._

_Wheeljack gasped. "Oh please tell me you don't want to do that!?" _

_"You can't be serious." Perceptor's optics widened. _

_"I am very serious." Prowl stated. _

_"Prowler," Jazz warned from his seat next to the mech, his own optics narrowing dangerously._

_"Do not call me that." Prowl cast a sidelong glare the other ninja's way._

_"We are _not _doing that." Jazz frowned._

_"I see no other course to take." _

_Cyber was silent as he watched the mechs around him, but he cast the twins a confused shrug when they looked his way trying to figure out what was going on. _

_Annoyed with all this Sunstreaker slammed his fist down on the table drawing every mechs' attention to his angry optics. "What the Pit are you talking about?"_

_"_He_." Ironhide glared._ _"Wants to send Bumblebee away."_

_Shocked silence captured the twins for a moment before both leapt to their feet in absolute fury. _

_"PIT NO!"_

_Their combined shouts shook the very conference hall making Ratchet jump to his own feet grabbing Sideswipe by the scruff bar to keep the fuming warrior from trying to shish kabob Prowl with the long blades that had slid from his arms. The medic knew that one twin wouldn't move without the other which left him to hold Sideswipe at bay as the warrior snarled Prowl's way while Sunstreaker shook with fury, but held his ground at his brother's side._

_"Stop!"Ratchet warned the pair, but at that point he didn't think either could hear him anymore._

_"If you ever so much as _try_ that you pompous aft know-it-all, I will turn you fraggin' inside out!" Sunstreaker's fist curled tight as his long dueling blades glittered dangerously at his sides. _

_"We ain't lettin' him go anywhere!"Sideswipe growled alongside his brother even if Ratchet was tugging him back trying to get the two to focus. However, their fear just became very, _very_, real in that moment and neither could play it off with the thought that they might actually lose their Half Pint. _

_All either could process was the horrifying hole in their lives if the youngling disappeared. The spark numbing pain they had been trying not to think about these past joors suddenly slammed into each of them, multiplied by a tenfold since they were unconsciously fueling it in the other._

_Every instinct the two had from a life long ago past came screaming back into their sparks demanding they protect, at all cost, the things they held close to them. At one time that had only been each other, a few scattered others on a good orn, but now it was so much more. It was this family they had unknowingly fell into the lap of, but far above that it was the little youngling that lay recharging not far off in the ship under Red Alert and Inferno's watchful gazes. They had been denying their fear all this time so now the very notion of losing the thing that brought them out of their walled off sparks sent them both into a rage so thick it took a data pad slamming Sideswipe in the nose plate to snap them out of it._

_That thud to his faceplate shock Sideswipe from the dark cloud that had taken him over leaving him to stare in utter shock across the table at Cyber who still had his hand raised from the device he chunked full force at the red warrior. At least the shorter bot had enough self preservation to not toss it at Sunstreaker even if the action of pain inflicted on his little brother snapped Sunny back to this world as well earning the small pearl white mech two very cold and shocked glares. As quickly as the fury turned to him though Cyber knew how to handle it._

_Because he understood it._

_Leveling the pair in his pale optics, ignoring the utter shock that was tangible in the air around him from the other mechs, he spoke. "Remember who you are in _this _life." _

_The words were simple, soft spoken like always, and brought both warriors to a silence that left them staring in confusion into the other mech's optics until both could see it. _

_A past._

_A past like theirs. _

_Both deflated in a nano-klick, the threatening fury that had over took them draining out in two steady breath's as the three stared at each other for a moment longer before Sunstreaker nodded just once Cyber's way. The quiet mech nodded in return before he sank back down in his chair leaving the rest to the medic who knew how to handle the pair from here._

_Roughly shoving Sideswipe back into his chair, letting Sunstreaker do it himself, Ratchet hissed down at the pair. "You CAN'T fraggin' threaten your second officer you two glitches!" _

_Neither said a word, they simply each raised an optics ridge Cyber's way before studying the table. They hadn't meant to snap. They hadn't turned their refined skills on any bot they actually liked in a _very _long time. It was something they swore they would never do again, but if Cyber hadn't tossed that data pad both were very sure Prowl would have got his aft handed to him. They had both been fully prepared to beat an agreement out of him._

_Just because they feared losing Bumblebee. _

_Sunstreaker was horrified with that realization while Sideswipe sighed knowing that it had been in him all along._

_The tense silence was suffocating as Optimus and the other mechs just stared down the table at the twins before the powerful commander cast Cyber a thankful nod and spoke when his optics returned to his two more violent warriors. "As much as I agree with you, mechs." He started. "You cannot threaten another Autobot."_

_"Sorry, Prime." Sideswipe whispered. "We didn't . . . mean too."_

_Wheeljack's and Perceptor's optic ridges rose at that, but Optimus only nodded. _

_"I know," He said. "But if you can't handle this conversation I will send you out. You are here because I know how much you care about him, what you'd be willing to do for him, but if that is going to make you try and break my second-in-command I'll have to remove you."_

_"Won't happen again." Sunstreaker ran a hand over the scars on his chest plates not evening knowing he was doing it as he stared down at the table. _

_"Good." Optimus stated before turning his attention to Ironhide who was seated between the Prime and the CMO, his cannons humming with his anger as he glared down the table at Prowl. "The same goes for you, Ironhide."_

_"Just try and make me leave." Hide bit out. _

_Ratchet laid a hand on his friends shoulder trying to calm him, but Ironhide just leaned back in his chair trying to silence his cannons as he stared at Prowl. The stupid logic that mech was always spouting off was going to cause him to get murdered quite violently one orn—by Ironhide's hand—if he didn't knock off talking about taking the weapons specialist's youngling away from him. _

_They would take Bumblebee away over his fraggin' offline frame. That went for Megatron _and_ Prowl. _

_"Optimus," Sunstreaker's quiet tone drew all the mechs' attention faster than when he slammed his fist against the table, because Sunstreaker was _not _supposed to sound like that. Ratchet leaned around the twin that trusted him just a little bit more to study the other one with worried optics._

_"What is it, Sunstreaker?" The Prime worried for the powerful warrior as well. That egotistical maniac was not supposed to talk like his spark was being torn out. _

_Ever._

_That just wasn't supposed to happen._

_The Prime needed the backbone that was the twins and their never dying drive to win. He needed it like he needed every other piece of the puzzle all his Autobots gave to make this army function. Because he honored and valued every one for what they were capable of just as he needed them for the same reasons. Especially Sunstreaker and Sideswipe._

_"You can't send him away." Sunny never lifted his optics._

_"You just can't." Sides finished as he too refused to look up. Neither wanted the mech they respected so much to see the terror flickering in their optics. They didn't want his pity, nor his worry. They already knew they were going to have to deal with Ratchet's later. They didn't want Prime in on the lecture as well. No matter what amount of good he meant to do. _

_"Megatron thinks you'll never let Bee out of your sight." Prowl's voice took Optimus's attention. "He knows you just as much as you know him, Optimus. So it is a reasonable course of action to send him to Magnus, at least until we can deal with Megatron thinking he can kill him."_

_"And you think Lil' Bee will ever even agree to leave Ironhide?" Jazz huffed._

_Prowl shrugged. "What he wants may not be what is best for him."_

* * *

To be honest, Sunstreaker had kind of tuned out the rest. He and his brother had merely stared down at the table while Ironhide yelled at Prowl, Prowl tired to talk Optimus into sending Bee to Magnus, Optimus said there had to be another way to deal with Megatron knowing about the youngling, and in the end the conclusion they came too Sunny had at least been able to breathe about.

The mighty rumble of the engines of _Artemis 1 _helped the golden warrior relax as he sketched the image before him knowing that in eight orns the battleship was going to be resting securely next to the _Axalon_. All because Jazz had made an excellent point. If they couldn't send Bee to the safety that might be Ultra Magnus because no bot was willing to leave him, then why couldn't they just go with him? What was stopping Optimus from using every option at his disposal? Why not just double the forces at the line that Magnus was defending in Iacon, or at least what was left of Iacon.

That idea had muted Prowl pretty fast as he blinked over at Jazz trying to come up with some reason doubling the battle lines would be a bad idea, but since the front that _Artemis 1 _was defending wasn't even a battle front, it was more of a scout front, and not one of the bots on this ship had been in active battle for half a vorn he really hadn't been able to do anything other than sit there and blink.

Wheeljack had wondered if it was a good idea to take Bee to the battle front. There was a reason he'd never seen one since Skywarp snatched him, but if everybot was being truthful the chances that they could see Megatron coming, and have the resources to stop him meant they had to double their strength.

That and Magnus could probably use the support in Iacon.

So in a crazy, desperate twist it had been decided. Optimus's forces would join up with Magnus's in Iacon so the two could help each other. That left Hot Rod in Tyger Pax without his two most treasured crew members, but when Optimus sent the hotheaded commander a comm all he'd done was laugh. He told Prime to worry about what was more important at the moment, to go help Magnus with the Con rouges that were constantly trying to blow up his ship and keep the 'little bundle of trouble' as he'd called Bee out of Megs grip. That he could handle himself.

Cyber had chuckled at that making Hot Rod snort through the comm telling the Prime to also not let Cyber and Hammerdown get their stupid afts offlined, that he still needed them back on his own ship. Prime had laughed as well at the stunned annoyance that passed over Cyber's quiet faceplate as the leader promised to return what he had barrowed in one piece.

The conversation left Sunstreaker with two slightly hopeful thoughts in his processor. One, he got to keep his Half Pint. And two, he was going to get to see some action again. He'd finally be able to really blow off some steam. He guessed that knowledge had been worth sitting through all that, but he wasn't sure it had been worth the talk he and Sideswipe had gotten afterward.

* * *

_They'd known it was coming. It always did._

_Ratchet never left them to their secrets when they snapped like that. Especially after he found out the truth of what they were and where they came from. However, he usually left them alone until Sideswipe got his stupid aft, or both their stupid afts, hurt and back on one of the Medic of Doom's surgery berths where there was nowhere for them to run to. This time however, it hadn't happened like that. Ironhide, Jazz, and Optimus were in the medical bay watching Bumblebee with Red Alert looking after the youngling's vitals while Ratchet went in search of his two pretty much unintentionally adopted sons._

_No mech was really sure when that had happened. When the closed off medic let two more into his spark, or when the twins started trusting another bot and a medic bot on top of that. It was kind of just something that happened. Optimus had always smiled behind their backs and said it was each parties fault. That the twins spent so much time getting chewed out by the medic for getting hurt that they started to trust him to never lie to them, hurt them, or use them and Ratchet just couldn't help but get attached to two such magnificent, accident prone, and untrusting mechs. It was hardwired into Ratchet to fix what was broken, and for a long time there hadn't been two more broken bots in the Autobot army even if none really knew why they were the way they were. _

_It was in his nature to help them in whatever way he could, and somehow in the mess all three of them had gotten a little attached to each other._

_Surprisingly. _

_Which was why when he finally had a moment the medic informed Prime he'd be back later and headed for the twins shared quarters. The leader had let him go. After all he needed his two hotheaded warriors thinking clearly. They couldn't go around trying to offline Prowl because they were scared._

_Even if Optimus was right there with them on the refusing-to-let-Bumblebee-go team._

_After the conversation ended the twins had bolted from the meeting room and headed straight for their own quarters to busy themselves with anything that would keep their fears at bay, and since Ratchet had already stopped them from bleeding out once this orn they figured that the option of blasting each other was out._

_So they hunkered down in front of their giant T.V. screen, reclined on their plush black couch, and proceeded to try and outdo each other with their new favorite game. A little something Wheeljack had also been cooking up. Except this invention was less likely to explode. _

_Most likely._

_The wacky inventor had been studying some dinky planet out in the Milky Way galaxy lately and had come up with a racing game based on their 'cars' for Bumblebee, but had wanted the twins to test it out first. Maybe he was trying to make sure it wouldn't blow up. The pair didn't know, and they really didn't care._

_Give them flashy vehicles to race and they were in._

_"You're losing again, Sunny." Sides snickered as he watched his red Lamborghini speed past his brother's gold one._

_"Mute it, you half wit." Sunstreaker huffed trying to catch up with his brother before the race was over._

_"If I'm a half wit than so are you." Sideswipe snorted. "You know being twins and all that."_

_"I am no half wit." Sunny glared at the screen as he pressed his thumb harder into his controller. _

_"Well, if I've got half the wit than it makes sense that you have the other half. That makes you a half wit as well—oww! Damn! Frag you, bro!" Sideswipe rubbed the side of his head where Sunstreaker had wacked him with his controller. _

_"Drive your stupid car and mute your stupid vocal processor." Sunny turned back to the game. "I don't wanna talk."_

_"Yeah," Sides rolled his optics. "I know." _

_"So hush." _

_They played in silence after that, trying to keep their processors occupied. Both could feel the dread in the other, the embarrassment of not being able to own up to their own feelings, and the annoyance of not being in control._

_It had been many, many, vorns since they hadn't been able to control what had been hard wired into them. It had been a very long time since they'd been set on harming a friend. _

_Seems blasting away at each other trying to get over their fear hadn't been enough. _

_It confused Sunstreaker. _

_That usually worked. _

_Every time before this orn they'd been able to take it out on each other, knowing the other could handle it, and get back into a semi sane state of mind._

_But the sight of Bumblebee almost offline had brought on more than just their fear. It brought out memoires. Memoires they'd shut out a long time ago . . . or at least they thought they had._

_The door to their quarters hissed open despite the lock they'd set, but neither mech looked up to see who had invaded the safety of their room. Both knew who it was. Only one mech would dare to try and make them talk when they didn't want to._

_Ratchet._

_The yellow and red medic stood in the doorway to the twins' quarters for just a moment before entering so the door would hiss closed behind him. They were right where he figured they would be. Distracting themselves somehow. They always did. _

_"What, no more blasting holes in each other?" Ratchet snapped as they twisted the controllers back and forth._

_"Nah," Sides shrugged never looking away from the game. "You see, I know this really cranky old medic who gets a little bit testy when we limp down to the medical bay twice in one orn." _

_Ratchet stiffed. "I am _not _old!"_

_Sides snickered while Sunny rolled his optics. "Whatever you say, Wrench."_

_Ratchet opened his mouth to begin his lecture when he snapped it shut after a moment of thought. After all that had happened this orn he was in no mood to lecture. Which was a feat in and of itself. _

_Sighing he drug his tired frame to the chair across from the twins' couch and plopped down crossing his arms over his chest. For a long while he just watched the pair of mechs he'd kinda sorta adopted somehow through the orns. He would never regret the crazy turn of events, but sometimes he did seriously question his sanity when it came to this decision. However, he had to remind himself, there weren't really any bots left on this planet that were all that sane._

_It was kind of a requirement to join the Autobot cause, he guessed, to be a little off your rocker. _

_After all, look at these two nuts._

_Ratchet rubbed a hand across his faceplate. The words they had said in that meeting after they decided to take Bee for a joy ride still haunted his processor. _

_The Rings. _

_The Pits of Kaon._

_He still couldn't fully process it. Part of him didn't want too. He didn't want to imagine the horrors they had gone through. _

_Sunstreaker shifted in his place on the couch, watching the medic across the room from him and his twin rub his hand across his faceplate again. It unnerved the golden twin, which alone pissed him off, but he couldn't make himself get angry for being close to this mech. No more than he could when it came to how much he adored Bumblebee, respected Optimus and Prowl, in general enjoyed Jazz's company, and just all around liked Ironhide. _

_He'd never say he felt any of that out loud, no never, but he would admit to himself what he felt. The only problem with keeping his emotions under lock and key was that Sides knew no matter what he tried to hide, and he was starting to find it harder and harder to find reasons to pretend that he just didn't care. _

_After all, the universe knew how much he loved the Half Pint now and every mech knew that the twins and Ratchet didn't really hate each other despite the beatings and the name calling. Sunstreaker was starting to wonder what he was hiding from._

_Than those painful memories flashed across his spark, those horrifying things he had done, and that dark warning that still rang in his audio receptors most nights. The warning that he had never let himself forget. _

_He couldn't. _

_He had his little brother to protect and he had all those vorns of trying to get his stupid depressed frame killed to make up for. He couldn't go letting bots in too deep now, it wasn't safe, it wasn't practical, and it would only end up with him and Sides hurt._

_Wouldn't it?_

_"Will you stop sitting over looking so pathetic?" The golden warrior snapped tossing his control at Ratchet. It bounced off the medic's knee with a satisfying smack earning him a quick glare from the medic and a slight glance from his brother before Sideswipe turned off the T.V. laying his control on the arm of the couch._

_"Well forgive me, Sunstreaker." Ratchet growled. "I'm tired and I have no fraggin' idea what to do!"_

_"Don't say that!" Sunny huffed, leaning back and crossing his arms as he looked anywhere but the medic. He was Ratchet. He wasn't supposed to not know what to do. Sunstreaker couldn't handle that._

_"Say what?" Ratchet snorted. _

_"That you don't know what to do." Sideswipe shrugged as he absentmindedly traced a scrape in the paint on his arm._

_Ratchet quieted at that. _

_Because he could see it again. _

_The reason he'd started trying to be there for the twins in the first place all those vorns ago. He could see the two younglings buried under a lifetime of pain, torture, and cruel fate. For the longest time he hadn't understood what it was, or why it was there. After all the pair of them were violent, often cruel themselves, fearless warriors. They jumped head first into everything. They never thought anything through. They didn't seem to ever realize the odds that might be stack against them, and they never really seemed to care about what they had to do to get what they wanted. That thought translated into everything they did, from the battlefield to their pranks, they did what they wanted when they wanted without a single fear of the repercussions that might ensue. _

_It seemed they always had. _

_For the longest time every mech abroad this ship had thought it just pure audacity that drove them. Not a single bot had wondered that there might be a darker truth behind the way they were. _

_Not a single bot besides Ratchet. Well, and maybe Jazz. He was the first mech they had told, but that hadn't really been a choice on their part. Jazz had just added it all up and comforted them. He had known enough about the Rings to guess. _

_Every other mech had just let them be what they were; unmatchable warriors. They were needed so putting up with their attitudes and mischief just seemed to be part of the deal of having them. It was a fact, all mechs had pasts. They all had secrets. _

_So why question the twins'?_

_Don't get it wrong, the other bots cared, but it wasn't exactly like the pair was all that talkative about such subjects. They guarded each other and their past like they were literally terrified of what might happen if the truth came out. So it was easier to leave them to their secrets. They all figured the truth would come out one orn. _

_And it had. _

_To a few. _

_And now it hung there like some giant pink and purple spotted elephant in the room._

_The twins hated it, but they didn't know how to slay it like they did everything else. _

_Then there was Ratchet, and neither could figure out how to talk to him. _

_It pissed them both off._

_"Mechs," Ratchet sighed. "I'm sorry, but when it comes to you two I've never known what to do, and it seems the same is to be said about Bumblebee."_

_Neither answered. They just stared at the floor._

_"We're all going with him. You don't have to worry about that." Ratchet offered, still thinking that they were afraid of losing Bumblebee. Which was kind of true. "And I'm going to fix him up. He will be fine. I promise. It's going to be alright."_

_"We know that, Wrench." Sides shrugged still not looking up._

_Ratchet huffed. "Than what is wrong with you two? Because this sure as Pit isn't the twins I know! We need them back! Bumblebee is going to need them back! You can't go glitchy on us now."_

_Sunstreaker snorted. "I am not glitchy."_

_"Prove it." Ratchet challenged. He had hoped it would launch the golden mech into an angry argument. That it would bring out his world famous temper and reassure the medic that he was alright, but it didn't. Sunny just glanced his way with tortured optics before looking away again without a single sound. "Mechs," Ratchet rubbed between his optics. "What is wrong with you two? You can tell me. You know that."_

_They sat in silence for a long time. Ratchet watching them watch the floor and the medic was sure they weren't going to say a word this time so he looked away unsure of how to help them when all of a sudden Sunstreaker spoke up._

_"I was going to offline him." _

_Ratchet went still. _

_Slowly he lifted his optics to find Sideswipe wringing his hands in front of him as Sunstreaker leaned his head back on the top of the couch staring at the ceiling like he wanted it to crash down on top of him. _

_"We both were." _

_"Didn't even process that it was Prowl." Sunny added. "Didn't even think twice. We were going to beat the agreement out of him. Do you realize that, Ratchet? Do you know that if Cyber hadn't smacked Sides with that data pad not even you could have pried us off?"_

_"You wouldn't have truly hurt him." Ratchet tired to shrug it off. "Besides we all wanted to ring Prowl's neck for even thinking we could send Bumblebee away. Sometimes his logic just isn't needed." _

_"That isn't the point." Sideswipe said. "And you know it."_

_"It's not supposed to matter, Wrench. It's not supposed to scare _me_." Sunstreaker kept on looking at the ceiling. "Sure, I guess by now I have to own up to it. I love the little mech. Okay, there I said it. I love him. I love him as much as I love this big idiot." He jammed a thumb towards his brother who never even cast him a glance. "But I'm not supposed to snap like that anymore. We've spent . . . Primus how many vorns?"_

_"Somewhere around eight hundred." Sideswipe offered. "I kinda stopped counting. I don't think it's all that healthy."_

_"It's not." Ratchet put in._

_"Well, whatever." Sunstreaker huffed. "The point is I was Pit bent of ripping Prowl's spark out because I was fraggin' afraid! We both were! That's not acceptable! It can't be like that!" _

_"And why not?" Ratchet's question caught both of the twins off guard, making them turn to meet the medic's gaze as he leaned back in the chair to study them with dark optics. "Why are you both so afraid of feeling anything?"_

_Sides regarded the seasoned medic for a long time in silence alongside his brother. After all these vorns, they still didn't know how to tell him. Because they didn't understand it themselves. It was just . . . the warning that echoed in their processors was still there. _

_To never get close to _anything _that can't be replaced. _

_It was the words they had lived by, survived by, the words their teacher had drilled into them by the point of a sword. _

_Words they were now ignoring._

_The prime example sat across their room from them, and all the others were in the medical bay. They had gotten close to a _lot _of things they couldn't replace now. Things they refused to lose. And neither one of them had really realized it until Ironhide busted down that door and they all saw Bumblebee nano-klicks from offlineing. _

_They'd known since the Half Pint got dropped into their lives that they cared, but they hadn't known how much or how many more that caring stretched too until they were locked out of the medical bay with no idea of what was going to happen and with no way to protect the things that they cared about. Because they'd never truly cared about _anything _besides each other ever before. _

_It was a sad fact, but it was true._

_They didn't think Ratchet fully understood just how much it terrified them to watch Ironhide and Optimus come undone, how much it horrified them to see Ratchet's hands shake, or how very helpless they had felt when Jazz crumbled down in the middle of the hall and just rocked back and forth with his head in his hands. _

_There had been nothing they could do._

_No way they could think of to save their . . . their family._

_Not knowing what to do, not being in control, was something they swore to never let happen again. Yet there they had stood clutching that ripped in half assassin with not a clue in the world of how to stop the panic that was rising up in them. So they had tried to blow it off by blasting up the weapons room. Only that hadn't worked because Wheeljack couldn't make hardly anything that didn't blow up so they got dragged down to Ratchet and then dragged into a meeting. They had yet to deal with their panic and they snapped when they got backed in a corner. _

_They knew why it happened; they just didn't know how to stop it._

_They still didn't._

_"We . . . ." Sideswipe trailed off. He didn't know how to say it. Not even to Ratchet._

_"We what?" Ratchet pressed._

_"We don't know how." Sides whispered._

_Ratchet stared at him a little hurt. "After all this time?" _

_"Old habits die hard, Ratchet." Sunstreaker studied his perfectly sculpted hands not really seeing them anymore. What he saw made him shudder._

_"They still have to die." _

_"Well, when you figure out a way for us to do that you let us know." Sunny bit still not lifting his optics._

_"I'd have to know the whole truth before I could help you figure that out, Sunstreaker. You both know that."_

_"And you know that we're not ready to tell you yet." _

_"We told enough for now." Sideswipe added._

_"This is true." Ratchet nodded solemnly. "But you're still going to have to get some type of a grip whether you tell me or not. Prowl deserved a good beating for thinking he could send Bee away, but you can't threaten to offline him. You can't spook me to the point I thought you just might actually make good on one of your threats. You two have to control yourselves. We all need you."_

_The twins stared at him for a moment before answering in unison. "We're working on it."_

* * *

Working on it.

Sunstreaker sighed.

They were still working on it. That was the underlying reason they were here. They had needed to see Bumblebee, but they had also needed the safety that was being locked away in Ratchet's medical bay. He had to stop himself from snorting at that. If some mech had told him all those vorns ago that one orn he'd feel safe in a medical bay with some cranky medic he would have laughed in their faceplate, and then he probably would have slugged them.

Then again, the same could be said for Bumblebee. He never would have imagined he'd ever be so stupid to get close to something like Half Pint. Yet here he and Sides were. He could just imagine how much their mentor would be laughing at them right now. How stupid he must think they were . . . that is if he was still online out there somewhere.

Shaking himself from the dark places he was venturing again Sunny turned his full attention back to his drawing. It satisfied him, but it wasn't done yet. He hadn't yet found a way to truly capture just how adorable Half Pint really was on paper. It was a fascinating challenge.

"I win!" Bee's happy chirp rang out across the med bay making Sunny lift his optics as the little mech almost bounced on the berth while Sides chuckled from his chair laying his cards down in defeat.

"That you did, Half Pint." Sides nodded. "Don't know how, but you did."

"You're telling me you just got beat at gambling by a youngling?" Sunny returned his focus to his paper. Sideswipe glanced his brother's way before snorting.

"We're not gambling, Sunny. Just playing cards."

"And I won!" Bee giggled happily as he glanced around at his beloved twins. He still wasn't really happy about being stuck on this berth. He wanted to play. He really wanted to do something besides be hooked to annoying, painful, tubes and wires, but that wasn't happening any time soon. Ratchet had tried to explain to him why he had to stay here, and he sort of understood, but that didn't mean he liked it.

The twins were trying to keep him occupied since it was their orn off, but there was only so much fun they could have while he was pretty much strapped down to a berth with pain meds slugging his systems.

That alone he hated.

The medicine Ratchet was giving him did make him stop hurting, but it also made it hard for him to feel the sparks around him. With it in his veins he couldn't find Optimus or Ironhide, no matter how hard he tired. He was hardly able to feel the mechs that were in the room with him let alone anything else. If Bee was being honest, he would have rather hurt.

Not being able to feel his guardian and his Optimus scared him.

A lot.

He'd already asked several times within the last joor where they were, what were they doing, and when they were coming to see him. Sideswipe had reassured him each time that Optimus was on the bridge and that Ironhide was with him. That they would be down later to see him, but that didn't take the youngling's fear away. In every dark corner he saw burning red optics, and each noise was that terrifying hiss that came before the pain. He was still very much afraid of whatever it was that did this to him, and not being able to feel that the strongest bots he knew where close by and wouldn't let anything hurt him again was even more terrifying.

Not to mention the two that were currently trying to keep him busy weren't all that happy themselves.

Bumblebee might not be able to really feel them like he normally did, but he knew them well enough to know that something was bothering the hardened mechs. He wasn't sure what yet, but there was defiantly something wrong with his twins. He just wished he knew how to fix it.

Lying his playing cards down, Bee scooted around being very careful not to tug out any of the things stuck into him because Ratchet would throw another fit. When he was twisted so that he was facing the strong golden mech who had his feet propped up on the berth Bee reached out and poked at Sunny's foot. Sides had to stifle a laugh as the action shocked Sunstreaker out of his draw mode and almost made him drop his sketch book as he straighten to look at the little youngling.

The golden warriors dark blue optics blinked at the curious baby blue ones of the youngling before Bee stretched out his arms as far as the wires would let him and proceeded to wiggle his fingers.

"Want up." Bee almost chirped. Sideswipe grinned like a fool at the slightest hint of a grin ghosted its way up his brother's mouth before Sunny sighed quietly to the little mech.

"Half Pint, the wires don't stretch that far, and Wrench will have my head if I yank one out."

"Want up!" Bee repeated in a whine bouncing ever so slightly in anger as his fingers wiggled more earnestly. Sunny cast his twin a pleading look.

_"You know I can't hold him over here."_

_"Then hold him over here." _ Sides shrugged, his foolish smirk never leaving.

Sunstreaker's optics darkened.

_"The door is locked, Sunny, no bots coming in. Besides we've been over this. There is no point in hiding it anymore. You admitted it to Ratchet."_

_"Well he isn't going to tell anybot!"_

_"No," _Sides shook his head. _"That is why we trust him. Remember? But the point was, Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide, Pit even Prowl. They know how much we _both _adore him. So there is no point in trying to pretend you don't. It's a waste of your precious time, and to be honest I'm kinda tired of it. And the sick youngling wants your attention. DO THE RIGHT SLAGGIN' THING AND HOLD HIM!"_

The last part rattled the inside of Sunstreaker's spark to the point that he had to shake himself to get rid of the angry tingle. Casting his little brother another glare Sunstreaker gave an overly dramatic sigh, lifted himself from his chair, carefully picked up the youngling, plopped down on the berth with his legs crossed under him in front of his brother, and placed Bumblebee back in his lap as he leaned back against the mound of the youngling's pillows. Bee let out a happy chirp, snuggling into the strength that was Sunny's frame feeling a little safer and a lot more relieved when even through the block the meds put on his spark he could feel the warrior relax.

That had really been all Bee wanted.

"Happy now?" Sunstreaker huffed.

"Yep!" Bee grinned up to the big mech's optics as Sides nodded enthusiastically from the end of the berth.

"Good." Pulling his sketch pad back in front of him he was about to return to his drawing when Bee poked his little head over the edge of the notebook that was almost as big as him and studied the image.

"Whatcha drawin', Sunny?"

"You two." He answered.

Bee twisted in the golden mech's lap casting him a bright smile before turning his attention back to the paper. "'kay."

Taking that as his permission to continue Sunstreaker went back to finishing up the last of the lines that needed darkening and the last little highlights he needed to do with his eraser to bring out the gleam in Bumblebee's optics. The tiny mech sat perfectly still on his lap watching with fascination as Sunstreaker brought the image to life. Sideswipe rested his chin on his crossed arms at the end of the berth watching with a broad smile as his harsh, psychotic, secretly kind of lovable older brother did the one thing that made him actually happy—besides pulling Decepticon sparks out—with the only bot besides his own twin he'd admitted to anyone else that he might actually love. Ever.

The subtle click from across the room would have probably gone unnoticed if it hadn't of been for Bee's antennas flickering at the sound making all three of them glance across the medical bay to see Wheeljack and Ratchet leaning in the doorframe of the medic's office while Jack held a camera before him grinning like the robo-cat that just caught the cyber-duck.

The ghost of Sunny's smile faded away while Sides just busted out laughing and the youngling glanced around.

Sunstreaker's optics narrowed harshly making the wacky inventor chuckle nervously before he leapt behind the safety of Ratchet's frame. If the Half Pint hadn't been in his lap there was probably a pretty good chance Sunstreaker would have flown across the room and ripped Wheeljack's optics out for snapping a picture of this, but with the injured youngling still in his possession Sunny would never dare to do something so foolish. So as his brother laughed, clutching his gut at the end of the berth the golden twin curled his lip up in a snarl.

"Delete that."

"Oh, no." Wheeljack snorted from where he peaked out over Ratchet's shoulder. "Not gonna happen."

"Wheeljack, I swear to Primus—"

"Oh come on, Sunny." Sideswipe said once he'd recovered from his laughter and reached forward to smack his brother on the leg earning a smoldering stare. "Let it be."

Sunstreaker just growled.

"Don't be mad, Sunny. Just a picture." Bee pleaded as he leaned further into Sunstreaker's frame, unnerved by the mech's anger, and wishing he knew how to make it go away. He didn't like it when any of his family was upset.

Sunstreaker looked down at the youngling who sat in his lap staring up at him with pleading optics. How did he even begin to say no to that faceplate?

Biting his lip to keep the threat at bay the golden warrior simply picked up his pencil once again and went back to finishing up his drawing. Bee grinned up at him then twisted back as well to watch Sunny draw. Sides blinked a couple of times a little shocked that his brother actually let it go, but decided that he was fine with this outcome and went back to his former position of watching his two favorite mechs.

Wheeljack, however, stood utterly transfixed behind Ratchet. He had been sure the warrior mech was going to at least try and offline him for snapping that picture. Yet he just went back to drawing with Bumblebee in his lap.

Who the Pit was that mech and what did he do with Sunstreaker?

Twisting to lock optics with his friend that was just what the scientist asked. "Who the Pit high jacked Sunstreaker?"

Ratchet chuckled quietly under his breath before turning back to his office dragging the white, red, and green mech with the bobbing jaw after him. "Best not to question little miracles, Wheeljack."

After Ratchet and Wheeljack went back to the office and Sunny calmed down Bee figured that would be as good a time as any to ask the question he'd wanted to ask since the golden mech came into the medical bay with that sketch pad.

"Sunny?" Bee questioned quietly.

"Hum," The warrior hummed a response as he sketched. Sides looked up from the data pad he'd pulled from subspace where he was currently mapping out the next scheme he had in mind.

"Can try?" Bumblebee asked. Sunstreaker stopped mid line looking down to the hopeful optics of the youngling before he smiled. Without hesitating Sunny flipped to a new page in his book brought the massive paper down in front of the youngling and offered him the charcoal pencil.

"Of course you can try."

Bee giggled in absolute glee as he snatched up the large pencil and hurriedly went to trying to draw like Sunny did. Sides lowered his data pad watching the youngling start to scribble away as his brother held the pad in front of him. They both looked on in silence as Bee held the pencil like it was going to run away from him and stuck his tongue out of the corner of the his mouth fully concentrating on the picture he was trying to accomplish.

Sunstreaker laughed under his breath after a moment longer of watching Bee hold the pencil before he gently wormed his hand around the wires hooked to the little mech and closed his much larger fist around Bee's tiny one. Bee stopped his drawing looking up afraid he'd down something wrong until Sunny shot him a rare, glimmering, half grin.

"Hold it like this, Bee." The mech positioned his tiny fingers. Bee concentrated on how Sunny showed him how to hold his fingers before letting go after just a moment.

"Like this?" Bee titled his head at how he now held the drawing tool.

"Yeah," Sunstreaker nodded. "It makes it easier to work with. Though I should probably look into getting you one more your size."

"Like this one!" Bee shook his head quickly.

Sunny smirked. "You can use it, calm down Half Pint. Here," Pulling a few colored pens out of subspace he offered them to the youngling. "You can use these too if you want."

Bee grinned broadly once again, shooting Sunny a thankful smile before he pulled the pens into his lap and went to drawing again. He scribbled away quickly smiling to himself not paying either grinning brother any mind while switching pens every couple of klicks and began to color the splotches he'd put here and there on the paper. That went on for several more klicks until Bee had one pen stuck in his mouth for safe keeping as he colored away with two more in both hands trying to blend red and blue together to look like the armor of one of his favorite mechs.

Only once he was fully satisfied with his masterpiece did he lean back with a click of happiness and turn his brilliant blue optics to Sunstreaker who was looking over the image with an approving smile.

"Done!" Bumblebee announced proudly.

"I wanna see!" Sides said reaching forward so Sunny would tilt the sketch pad so he could look as well. Bee watched with a little apprehension as both mechs studied his art until Sideswipe spoke again with praise. "That's awesome, Half Pint!"

Bee smiled though he shrugged a little to himself as he spoke around the pen still in his mouth. "Not as good as Sunny's but I tried."

"Nonsense!" Sunstreaker scolded, lightly flicking Bee on an antenna before gently pulling the pen out of his mouth as Bee batted him away with a laugh. "It is wonderful and very much your style. I love it, Half Pint."

"Really?" Bee asked hopefully.

Sunny stared down at him for a nano-klick before nodding. "Yes."

Bee grinned like the whole universe was suddenly filled with rainbows and puffy clouds before he latched onto Sunstreaker's mid second for a tight-as-he-could-manage hug. The golden mech was shocked for just a moment before his brother's smile snapped him out of it and he lightly, mindful of the painful places and wires on the youngling, hugged him back.

"Now," Sides drew Bee's attention back. "What is it?"

Bee burst into a fit of giggles at the slight confusion on Sideswipe's faceplate as he studied the random splotches of color and lines that resembled mechs. Sides could tell what they were, but he found it far more entertaining to mess with the youngling. So he played dumb and basked in the glow that was a happy Bumblebee.

"Our family, silly!" Bee gasped around his giggles.

The words froze both mechs though Bee was so set on his explanation, and the meds in his system were clouding him just enough, that he couldn't tell.

"See," Bee pointed to figure after figure. "That Optimus, that Hide, and Ratch, and Jazzy, and Sides, and Sunny, and Risk, and that me, and that Prowl, and Wheeljack, and after that kinda run out of room, but I make 'nother one with every bot."

The twins stared down at the smiling faces of the little stick figure bots Bee had drawn happily together with Bee smack dab center of all of them with the biggest grin Primus had ever come up with stretched across his faceplate, much like the one he wore now as the glanced back and forth between them.

Trying to find his voice Sideswipe ran an unconscious had over his scared chest before nodding slowly. "Neat, Half Pint."

Sunstreaker had a lot more trouble finding the working ability of his vocal processor though. He just sat there dumbly staring down at the image without a clue as how to respond.

Family?

The very word sent shudders through the fearless mech's spark.

It was one thing for _him _to silently admit it, but for some other bot too say it out loud. It made it another whole level of terrifying.

Sudden reassurance and strength came pouring through his sibling bond making Sunny raise his optics to his brother's to find Sideswipe offering him a small, knowing kind of smile. He didn't even have to speak through the bond. Sunny knew what he was saying.

It's going to be alright.

The words rang out from the love his brother pushed in and the gleam in his optics. Sunstreaker shot him a glare, but his spark wasn't in it and Sides just shrugged him off as he turned his focus back to Bumblebee.

"I really like it." Sides nodded again earning another grin from Bumblebee.

"You really like, Sunny?" The little mech asked again still unsure of his art compared to that of the golden mech's.

"Yes, Half Pint." Sunstreaker nodded, and was about to say more, but the hiss of the medical bay doors sliding open made every bolt in the warrior's body tense up as Sideswipe went very still and Bumblebee glanced up only to grin broadly at the bots he found shocked still in the entrance to the room.

Optimus stood in the doorway of the med bay with a silly little grin on his faceplate as he stared at the sight before him. Ironhide tilted his head ever so slightly besides the mighty commander while Jazz just full on beamed and Prowl looked on rather emotionless though there was the slightest hint of amusement twinkling in his optics.

Sideswipe twisted back around in his chair casting his bright blue optics over his shoulder to find all but one of his commanding officers standing behind him. He let out a sigh. Yeah, his brother was going to handle this well.

Suddenly the door to Ratchet's office swung open and the medic stormed out. "SIDES, DAMN IT, I TOLD YOU NOT TO TAKE—oh it's you lot."

Jazz smirked at the medic's deflated anger at the realization he came too. "Yep, just little old us."

"Hey!" Sideswipe barked. "Why the slag were you yelling at me? I didn't do anything."

"Oh please," Prowl rolled his optics. "You are always up to something."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"That is a vicious accusation!"

"Yet, a very true one."

"But I really wasn't doing nothin' this time!"

"'This time' being the key part of that very grammatically incorrect sentence."

"Oh you are such an aft hat. What could I possibly be scheming right here!?"

"You have never once seceded to amaze me, Sideswipe." Prowl admitted. "You could be up to anything."

"Oh, come on!" Sides threw his hands in the air. "I'm actually being _good_! What could either of you possibly think I was up too out here!?"

Wheeljack stuck his head out from around Ratchet thinking it best to stop the little argument before either Prowl glitched or Sideswipe started chunking pens at the mech. "He thought you guys ran off with Bee."

"Nope." Bee shook his head rather dramatically. "Still here."

"Good," Ratchet crossed his arms at Sideswipe who was fake-glaring—something he did a lot to the medic and Prowl though to which the red warrior was glaring this time Ratchet wasn't sure—and Sunstreaker who had yet to even try and look up. "Because we have a deal."

"Yeah, yeah," Sides waved him off turning back to Bee. "Take Bee out of the med bay and die a horrible death of fire, wrenches, and curses. We know. And for once we are actually doing what you told us to do."

"I'm shocked." Prowl snorted, though there was amusement in his voice that even he couldn't hide at the sight of the twins and Bumblebee. Especially Sunstreaker.

It was quite comical to see Sunstreaker sitting crossed legged on a berth with Bee in his lap and a sketch pad before both of them as the golden hothead refused to even look up to see the mechs that entered. As if that was going to stop him from being seen.

Bee glanced around at his bickering family until his optics once again landed on Hide and Optimus who stood side by side smiling at him. The little mech grinned, grabbing hold up Sunny's sketch pad as he bounced in the mech's lap trying to show his guardian and his Optimus his picture.

"Look, Hide! Look!"

Ironhide chuckled as he strolled forward across the medical bay to the berth where his youngling was currently bouncing up and down while Sunstreaker merely sighed and appeared to be trying to blend in with the wall. The bright gold mech really wasn't doing all that great of a job, but Hide decided to let the hothead have his way. The pair of them were on the weapons specialist's good side for the moment with all the attention they'd been giving Bumblebee that for once didn't involve any hazards to his health. Ironhide was rolling with it.

He knew how much both of them really loved the youngling even if they didn't want to admit it, and for now he was okay with that.

"Look what I drew!" Bee pushed the paper toward his beloved guardian with the help of Sunstreaker handing it over without looking up. Bee wasn't quite sure why Sunny had suddenly gone so still and tense, but he didn't like it. So as Ironhide looked over the picture he was handed and Jazz sprang across the room to see as well followed by Optimus, Prowl, Ratchet, and Wheeljack the little youngling laid a careful hand on the softer armor around Sunny's middle lightly poking the mech. Sunny seemed to snap out of where ever it was he was mentally hiding and looked down at Bumblebee who offered him a small, reassuring smile. Sunstreaker retuned it though it was kind of half-sparked before he straighten up to his usual proud self and patted Bee on the head.

Bee purred at the action, leaning into the comfort and safety that Sunny offered as he watched his other family members observe his picture. By the time he checked to see their reactions they were all grinning pretty big, even Prowl, making Bumblebee do the same.

"That's the awesome-est thing I think I've ever seen!" Jazz praised reaching over to rub Bee affectionately between his antennas. Bee gave a happy chirp in reply.

"Very nice, Youngling." Prowl nodded.

"Neat, Bee." Wheeljack grinned.

"I love it, Bee." Ironhide's optics sparkled with affection as he stared over at his little youngling.

"It's wonderful, Bumblebee." Optimus nodded earning the mechs an even brighter smile from Bee.

"Thanks! Was tryin' to do like Sunny. It not as—"

"If you so much as utter the words, 'it's not as good as Sunny's' again you little twerp I will smack you." Bee tensed in the warrior's lap twisting to look up slowly with a nervous smile as Sunstreaker scowled down at him with a raised optic ridge. "We've been over that."

"Sorry, Sunny."

Sunstreaker huffed as he looked away. "It's perfect the way it is. Besides, you still have a lot to learn, and I'll teach you so don't worry about it."

Sides stifled his snicker, Optimus and Ironhide merely grinned, Wheeljack crossed his arms with a roll of his optics, Prowl just shook his head, while Ratchet looked over the twins with an approving smile and proud optics as Bee snuggled into the golden mech's frame smiling like his world was perfect again.

* * *

**I _love _this chapter.**

**It makes me smile. So much less depressing then the last few. **

**Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are two of my favorites. I mean how can you not just love them? **

**Anyway, once again thank you to those who reviewed. It makes my day to see what you guys have to say. **

**So what did you guys think of this one? Cyber's got some stuff doesn't he? Smacking Sides in the face like that. He understands them a little better than most previously thought it seems. With all that _this _life stuff. Wonder what that's about? **

**And I know its probably been done a million times . . . but I love the idea of Bee and Sunny connecting even more with Sunstreaker teaching him how to draw. After all Bee's a child and all children love to draw especially when they're sick and can't get out of bed. So I saw this as an opportunity to begin that little bonding period. **

**Besides I think I tortured the twins enough in one chapter with all the past stuff. They needed some cuteness. **

**They really do have one painful story. . . . .I don't know why I have so many of those. It just seems to make good material. A bit of it shines through in this one and we also get a look at the twins relationship with Ratchet. Which I also find adorable. I always saw them as his sort of sons so that's what they have become. Their natures just gravitate toward each other in my opinion. They can help each other. **

**But even more gets reviled as it goes along. Sunny and Sides and so much more. You'll find out the truth about them and so many others when the next part of this series comes into play. Hee-hee yes there is going to be a next one. At least I'm planning on it. There will probably be lots as long as my muse doesn't die. **

***hint* reviews keep that from happening. **

**In fact I'm almost to the third part! You guys aren't. . .you still have a good few more chapters left, but _I'm _almost done. Racks up a good 114,000 something words now from where I'm at! I'm thrilled! Never thought I was going to make it this far! It is all thanks to you readers and reviewers though! So once again I thank you!**

**Next chapter has even more Sunny and Sides along with Cyber. They have a nice little overdue chat. Key word there being _nice. _**

**Suuuurrreeee.**

**Then, not to ruin any surprises or anything, but Prowl has informed me that he felt left out so . . . I cannot be held responsible what ensued but he gets a big part in the next chapter. So Prowler fans out there stick around . . . and don't hate me. He told it. I just wrote it. **

**My goal is to have _Secret of the Stars _finished by new years. So I can start on the third part . . . I have yet to name. As of right now there are sixteen chapters and will probably be about three more. So maybe I can get it done I don't know, but if I do get it done that will probably mean you guys will get updates faster. Just because I'm not patient. Just thought I'd let you guys have an idea as to what my plan is. Also just so you know reviews make me write faster. Just saying. **

**And once again this thing is _really _long. Sorry about that.**

**Next update might come on new years. Probably if I finish the second part. **

**Chat with ya later **

**-Jay**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own transformers.**

**However, the plot and OCs are mine. Blah, blah, blah.**

**Okay . . . I promised this on New Years but hey it's only a day late. So yeah. **

**In other news though, I'm done! Last night I finished _Secret of the Stars _which is the real reason you didn't get this chapter yesterday. I refused to stop writing until I was done. It only took me way to many hours . . . no biggy right? Yeeeaaaaah, my brain hurt when I was done. Anyway, eighteen chapters and 140,000 something words! Who would have ever guessed it? So now I can start on part three! Is anybody else as happy as I am!?**

**Also, I once again want to thank all of you who left reviews. You are wonderful! You kept me writing last night when I though my brain turned to mush. So it's all thanks to you!**

**Now for this chapter. **

**I promised the twins and Cyber . . . well here is their _nice _little chat. **

**Also Prowl finally gets his moment in the sun . . . you may or may not need a box of tissues . . . I'll admit I got a little teary when I first wrote it.**

**So go forth and enjoy! Because I've been waiting to put this chapter up for soooooooo long! **

**They get names! They finally get names! **

**Who does? Well go read and find out! I'm gonna go hide from Prowl now.**

* * *

Chapter 11

The medical bay doors hissed quietly closed behind Sideswipe and his brother as they left the youngling they'd spent their orn off with and headed for the mess hall to find something to eat. It was about time Ironhide and Optimus got some bonding time with the Half Pint anyway, so Sides was more than willing to leave the adorable little bundle in the mechs' care as he and his brother did some bonding of their own.

Even if Sunstreaker didn't know it yet.

The twins walked in silence until they reached the mess hall entering it in the late breems of night, figuring they would be the only ones either not on shift or not in their berths, but turns out they were wrong. Sitting in a far corner of the mess hall with two data pads laying on the table before him and a rather large cup of warm energon was Cyber.

Sides stopped in his tracks at the sight of the small pearl white mech as the words he had said echoed in the red twin's processor. The same seemed to be said for his brother because when he glanced Sunny's way he found him staring at the mech through narrowed optics. Tugging slightly on his bond with his brother in a questioning sort of way Sides was answered with a simple nod and the two strolled across the room together, finding them some energon at the bar in the back, before heading to the back corner where they plopped down rather dramatically in front of the security officer.

The table shaking from their arrival made Cyber lift his optics to the two faceplates that stared blankly back at him from across the table. For a moment they all just looked at each other before Sunny scowled and Sides smirked.

"Evening, Cyber."

Cyber just blinked in return.

Something told him this wasn't going to go well.

When he wasn't gifted with a reply Sideswipe rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his laced fingers as he stared at the pale optics across from him until they returned to the data pad they had previously been engrossed in. Sides was content to wait for the quiet mech to decide he could speak to the twins, but it seemed that as usual Sunstreaker wasn't all that big on being patient.

"So," The golden mech started. "You gonna tell us how the pit you knew, or are you just gonna sit there like a bump on a chip-tree?"

Cyber snorted without looking up. "You two are transparent. It is easy to see."

Both of them scowled at that.

"I am not transparent!" Sunny growled.

"But you are." The smaller pearl mech put his data pad back down, knowing that any work he was trying to get done was pointless now. The twins wanted answers and now he had to give them. He didn't have any other option. "I understand it. So I can see it."

"You weren't in the Rings." Sides challenged his optics glancing down to the white mech's chest. He bore no scars, that were visible at least. "How did you know?"

Cyber shrugged. "You can bury secrets as deep as you please in your spark, but to those that understand the pain and the shame that you have lived will always see it in your optics. No amount of burying can hide the truth in them."

Sideswipe let out a sad snort at that. "Thought we were the only ones that knew that."

"Please," Cyber rolled his optics. "You are not the only mechs in this army running from a life you left behind."

Sunstreaker tilted his head at the mech, his optics narrowed and judging as the other bot merely stared back. "I run from nothing."

"Sure, Sunstreaker. Keep telling yourself that."

The glare was still met with a simple stare until finally Sunstreaker huffed.

"So, what does that mean _you're _running from?"

"The same thing you are." Cyber admitted. "The mech that I _used _to be. The mech I swore I'd never be again."

For a moment Sides studied the bot before him while Sunstreaker glared, then suddenly he saw it. His past life of knowing an opponent just by their optics, knowing their weaknesses and their strengths just by the gleam in them paid off. He could see the past that was glittering in those pale optics back in that meeting room, but now he saw what it was.

Tribal.

A warrior tribe most likely. Probably one of the last few that survived after Sentinel Prime took command of Cybertron and brought a rather energon soaked end to the Tribal Wars. Those dark days in Cybertronian history that the twins had been too young to remember, and yet there wasn't much a bot that grew up in the Rings that didn't know about the origins of the energon-lust that brought the Rings to their beginning.

The war between the lost tribes of Cybertron finally ended when one mech was big enough to stand over all the rest and point the way toward order, even if he had to point over the lives of thousands that wouldn't bend to his way. Most thought the end of Tribes was a good thing, and in a lot of ways it probably was. It brought order to the chaos of lost beings looking for a purpose after the billions of vorns that had pasted since the First Primes vanished. It gave the bots of Cybertron a leader, something they needed desperately. However, Sentinel's reign came at quite a price. Every life that wouldn't fall into step to his laws was seen as a threat and exterminated.

These last stragglers that met an end by his order weren't really all that civilized of bots, they were trained assassins, they killed because it was in their culture, and because they were good at it. Assassins or not though, they were still bots, and many were slaughtered without trial or a chance for surrender when the Tribe camps were invaded.

However, that part never really made it into the history logs.

Things like that never did it seemed.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker only knew because there had been many mechs locked away in that Pit, fighting for every breath they took, that had survived those massacres. Survived just to find they didn't know how to be or do anything else besides what they were, and what place did they have in a world at peace. They had no place to go, and no other life to live. Many tried and many failed. They survived just to die at the hands of someone stronger in a fight they were never going to win. Just like the rest of their lost people.

And yet, here sat Cyber.

Sideswipe tilted his head at the smaller pearl colored mech, with his kind faceplate, his soft pale optics, and his quiet nature. He didn't look anything like the Tribe mechs Sides had known, but somehow it was there. Shimmering in his optics was a life so similar to his and his brother's it almost made Sides wonder if the mech had come from the someplace they had, but he knew better.

He lacked the sick brand.

"And what did you use to be?" Sides finally dared asked, even though he figured Cyber probably already knew that he'd guessed.

"Not much different than you two." Cyber countered expertly.

Sunstreaker snorted. "Are we going to talk circles around each other all night, or what you little mute? We're willing to talk so get on with it!"

"Just because you're willing to talk in a dark mess hall when no other mechs are around doesn't mean I am." Finally Cyber's soft optics narrowed into harsh pale slits. "You already know what I am, the same as I know what you are, there is nothing for us to discuss. My old self, my other half, it came out to play for a little while at what happened to the youngling, but I assure you it's back in its cage where it belongs. Where it will stay until I have further use for it."

"We're in the middle of a war." Sunstreaker held the mech in his own narrow glare. "No matter how much that other half is hated there will always be further use for it."

"Sadly." Cyber nodded slowly returning his optics to his data pad at the warrior's words. "This is the truth."

"No matter how much we fight it, it will always be there." Sides said. "In the mayhem of battle, in the thrill of the fight, the things that were drilled into us to keep us alive always come out. The side of us that likes to kill because we are good at it always wins. Because we _survive_, it's what we're good at. We had to be."

"My other half was far more of a choice than either or yours was." Cyber admitted without raising his optics.

For a moment there was silence until Sides busted out laughing making both his brother and the ninja stare at him in confusion for a moment before Sunstreaker understood the amusement in his brother's optics and gave an amused snort of his own. Gathering control of himself Sideswipe rested his chin on his palms as he shook his head sadly back and forth at the smaller mech.

"Oh please," He rolled his optics. "In the end everything is a choice. Sure, we got youngling-napped, tortured half to death, and sold on the black market into living Pit and none of that was a choice, but choosing to not lie down and die _was _a choice. We could have done what thousands of others did. We could have just given up and accepted death, but Sunny and I ain't really ever known how to quit. So we learned to fight, to _kill_, and we kept on doing it because we were sickeningly good at it. Even now we do it. We're still offlineing mechs because we're good at it, now we do it for a just cause, but it's all the same. Taking life is taking life no matter what it's for. And whether you want to admit it or not Cyber that natural talent that is in all of us survivors whether we're from the Rings or a fallen Tribe will always be there swimming just under the surface. We can't control our instincts anymore than a robo-cat can change its need to chase digi-mice. It's a part of who we are now. We can't best it so all we can do is try and handle it."

Cyber shook his head to himself as he stared down at the table between them. He was well aware that Sideswipe was right. It was just kind of strange hearing something as deep as that coming out of the prankster. Then again, he should know that locked away inside the guarded parts of every bot's sparks were levels to them few got to see. For there were few that bothered to look.

* * *

Bumblebee whimpered slightly as Ratchet stuck a needle deep into the soft wires of his arm making the little youngling bite his lip as he clutched harder to Ironhide's finger. He hated all these stupid needles, and wires, and tubes, and all the rest of this medical stuff he didn't even know what was. He wanted Ratchet to stop poking him with stuff, to take all these annoying and painful things that were attached to him away, but he knew this was one time the medic wasn't going to give him what he wanted.

"Almost done, Squirt." Ratchet said as he pulled the needle back from the youngling rubbing his thumb over the place he stuck to keep the energon at bay before turning away putting the syringe back on the table to his left. Bee watched him from the corner of his optics as the tiny mech rubbed his now once again sore arm and leaned into Ironhide's hand while the massive black mech steadily pet him between his folded down antennas.

When Ratchet turned back to the youngling's berth with another dose of pain meds in his hand Bee scooted further into the safety of his guardian's hold letting out another squeak. Ironhide sighed at the youngling's pitiful attempt to keep the spark numbing drugs away from him, and even if Ironhide and the quiet Optimus who sat at the weapons specialist's side hated what the meds did to Bee as much as Ratchet did they all knew how much he needed them.

"Bumblebee," Optimus scolded him gently making Bee glance up to the Prime's kind optics with terrified little baby blue orbs before Optimus shook his head at him. With his lip still held tight between his teeth Bee turned back to Ratchet who looked down at him with dread, but leaned forward all the same tipping the little cup of energon mixed with diluted pain meds into the youngling's mouth. Bee snapped his optics shut at the bitter taste that rolled over his tongue, every part of his little self wanting to spit the liquid back out, but he knew if he did Ratchet would just make him take more. So whether he liked it or not, he forcibly swallowed.

"Blah!" He shook his head back and forth with his tongue sticking out trying to get the bitterness out of his mouth. His adorable little faceplate scrunched up in annoyance made the three mech around him laugh despite the unhappiness in their youngling as he shook his head once more as if that would get the effects and the taste to go away, and when that didn't work Bumblebee resorted to rubbing the back of his hand against his mouth until Ratchet finally lightly smacked it away giving him another cup that was small enough for the youngling to hold. Greedily snatching the drink Bee sipped at his energon quietly thankful to get the other taste to go away as the powerful meds began to quickly take affect once again and his bright spark steadily began to become clouded in a drug induced fog.

Optimus watched through narrow slits as the pain meds began to dull his youngling's optics and draw the brightness that was Bumblebee's spark back in on itself until all that even the Prime's mighty Gift could feel was a pathetic little glow of what had been a brilliant sun. And the commander fragging hated it.

He couldn't put into audible words how much he hated it.

The only true explanation of his feelings was slamming his head repeatedly into the wall, but since Ratchet had already drugged him once for that Optimus knew better than to try it again. Even if his spark wanted to crumble at being cut off from the little youngling.

Leaning forward he pulled the youngling's covers tighter around him as he snuggled down against Ironhide's hand than reaching to his side the Prime plucked the youngling's stuffed honeybee from the floor offering it to Bee who snatched Buzz holding him tightly to his chest.

Once Bumblebee was content with his blankets and his toy he clutched tight to Ironhide's fingers as the massive mech steadily rubbed circles into his youngling's back. Pretty soon those meds were going to force him into recharge whether Hide wanted it or not, so he figured it was better to just make sure his charge was happy before he slipped out of his grasp again.

"Optimus," Bee mumbled tiredly.

The Prime hummed in response watching the youngling snuggle even deeper into the safety of Ironhide's hold.

"When I have Risk back?"

Optimus flinched despite trying to hide it at the mention of the robo-cat. They all knew sooner or later Bee was going to wonder why his pet hadn't woken up yet, they just hoped it would take a little longer. Casting his bright optics up to Ratchet the commander watched the medic sigh heavily before shaking his head.

"Soon, Squirt." Ratchet went to straightening some tools on the counter not far from the youngling. "I'm working on it."

Bee yawned again his baby blue optics starting to flutter closed. "Want Risk back."

"We know, Bee. He'll be back." Hide reached out with his spark wishing for some way to be able to comfort his charge, but the drugs already had Bee locked away in a fog that not even his bound could truly feel through and as the youngling finally slipped into recharge the mech truly did feel like he couldn't reach him. Not when those brilliant little optics were closed.

He kept reminding himself that Bumblebee was going to be alright, that Ratchet was fixing him, but it was hard when almost all he was getting to see was when the tiny mech was going down again. The twins got to entertain him the whole orn, hear him laugh and smile, keep him busy while he felt good enough to play while Hide and Optimus had to be . . . well them.

They had duties to perform, and whether they liked it or not they had to do them. They were currently moving an entire military unit all because of one mech. Strategy and protocol wise Optimus was kind of breaking every rule in the book, but not a single mech in the army cared.

Not even Prowl.

And he lived by that stupid rule book. He had let bots_ die _by that stupid rule book.

However, when it came to Bumblebee everything changed. Even Prowl turned a blind optic to what they were doing. He had voiced his opinion that their plan might be pretty fraggin' stupid, but when it came down to it he hadn't truly wanted to send Bumblebee away. That was just what his processor knew to be the best course of action, and when it all blew up in their faceplates like one of Wheeljack's experiments just like every bot onboard knew it would he might have been right.

That wasn't about to stop them though.

Optimus and Ironhide were well aware they might be making a horrible mistake, but they didn't know what else to do. They couldn't live with losing the youngling, and they couldn't handle sending him somewhere that they weren't in control of the events around him.

When it got down to the bottom of it all the truth was simple. Megatron was going to come for Bee. Nothing any of them did was going to stop that, and when it did finally happen both were Pit bent on it being them that stood in his way. Them and the rest of the crew of _Artemis 1_.

Because Bee was _their _youngling—all of them—and they were going to fight tooth and claw to keep him.

"What really is wrong with the robo-cat?" Optimus quietly questioned as he rose from his chair once Bee was deep in the safety of recharge. Ironhide stayed by his charge's side watching his two friends carefully as Ratchet went to trying to busy himself with cleaning up the mess Sideswipe had left.

"Leave it to that idiot to not pick up his own damn dueling cards. I should burn them just to teach him a slagging lesson!" Ratchet frowned while he gathered the annoying things from his once clean floor. He didn't even try to answer Optimus's question which made both the weapons specialist and the Prime very nervous. The only time the medic didn't answer a question was when he didn't know the answer.

"Ratch?" Hide asked carefully. "I thought you and Jack fixed the creature."

Ratchet stuffed the dueling cards angrily into a cabinet before laying his palms flat on the table beside Bee's berth staring down at them tiredly. "So did I."

Both mechs blinked in confusion for a moment at their friend before glancing down at the recharging youngling.

"I got all of the venom and the virus out of him, but Pit he had even more of it in him then Bumblebee did. The foolish thing should have offlined before we even got there from how many times that damn thing bit him. I thought he was gone before we even got him on the surgery berth. He should have, but you guys know how stubborn Jack is. He wouldn't let the thing offline, but now we've done all we can for him. He has to wake up on his own. I just was hoping that that would have happened by now. The stupid thing is tough, but the more breems go by the less sure I am he is actually going to come out of stasis lock."

"He saved Bee's life." Ironhide whispered staring down at his youngling. "He has to wake up."

"I'm doing all I can." Ratchet sighed glancing toward the door to his office where the robo-cat was laying on a berth hooked to more things than even Bee was. Ratchet rubbed a hand down his faceplate.

Ironhide was right.

They all owed Risk their youngling's life and the medic refused to let the creature slip away. He couldn't.

"I have faith in your abilities, Ratchet. Wheeljack's as well." Optimus crossed his thick arms over his chest. "If any mechs can fix Risk it is you two."

"Hopefully before the next time he wakes up." Ratchet nodded slowly about to turn toward his office when the door to the medical bay swished open to Prowl who walked in without looking up from the data pad he was typing on. Ratchet lifted an optic ridge as the Strategist strolled all the way to the youngling's berth before even lifting his optics.

"Evening." He greeted.

"Prowl." Optimus nodded in return with a lifted optic ridge of his own as Ironhide just stared at him with narrowed optics. He was still kind of pissed that the idiot thought he could send Bumblebee away.

"Ultra Magnus has requested a conference, Prime." The second-in-command informed his commander as his optics rested on the youngling for a moment.

"Magnus?" Optimus tilted his head as worry crept up his frame. _What's gone wrong now?_

"He didn't sound worried." Prowl quickly calmed the Prime's panic. "Most likely just some things to work out with us being in the same place."

The Prime nodded again before wishing the mechs a good night heading for his quarters to call Magnus.

Once the commander was gone Prowl turned his light optics to Ratchet. "I'm quite sure that asking you will not yield me an answer, but I will ask nonetheless. Did you get them to talk?"

Ratchet's optics narrowed while Hide's widened a bit.

"Talk about what?" The medic crossed his arms with a huff of annoyance.

"Well, I imagine the same thing they are currently locked up in the mess hall talking to Cyber about. Their past."

Both mech's tensed in shock only to have Prowl roll his optics as he shook his head slightly.

"Oh please, Ratchet. Did any of you really think I hadn't figured out where the two fools came from by now? The scars, the attitudes, the pranks, and the overall them being them? It wasn't that hard to put together. Besides, Jazz isn't really subtle, and he's known for vorns."

"So you know?" Ironhide blinked.

"The Twins came from the Rings." Prowl bluntly stated. "Yes, I know."

"So you know why they took Bee off the ship!" Ratchet snapped. "You knew and you still threw them in the brig!"

Prowl lifted his hand to the medic to calm his anger. "They disobeyed direct orders, and risked Bumblebee's life. They had to be punished for that. Even you have to admit that Ratchet, their own stupidly is something even you punish them for. You more so than any of us most of the time. Me being aware that they had a horrible up bringing does not change that they are soldiers in this army now. Besides they made me glitch by the end of the orn anyway I think it all evened out."

Ironhide had to snort in laughter at that. "You've got to stop taking stuff so seriously, Prowl."

The white and black mech bristled as if insulted as his doorwings tensed with an unhappy flutter. "I am the way I am. I do _not _need to change, and I cannot help the way I am built."

"Same goes for the twins." Ratchet mumbled irritably under his breath.

Prowl leveled optics with Ratchet for a moment both staring heatedly at each other before the two-tone second-in-command nodded. "Touché."

Ratchet held his glare for a klick longer before he too nodded. As much as he hated how hard Prowl always was on_ his _two warriors he knew that most of the time he was even harder, because it was what they needed. A firm hand pointing the way. When they needed something else it was never hard to tell, and he was always there when they needed that. He also had to admit that Bee's spark-orn party had kind of came out alright in the end, and he had to make himself recall that it was him that started tossing chairs at the fools for making Prowl glitch again as they just ran around his half-sparked tosses, snatched up Bee, and ran around the ship with Risk, Jazz, and Hide chasing them.

Ratchet could still see Optimus looked over at him with a full on smirk and a comment that had snapped him right out of his fuming fit.

_"You have to admit, they are entertaining." _

Yes, he did.

"Talking to Cyber, huh?" Ironhide's comment drew Ratch from his thoughts as he found both mechs staring at each other.

"Yes," Prowl confirmed. "Though I doubt there is a chance of the three trying to harm each other."

"Oh I wasn't worried." Hide snorted. "From what I can tell Cyber is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He saved your smart mouthed aft earlier."

Prowl's optics twitched. "Excuse me?"

Ironhide smiled over to the mech before turning his full attention to his recharging youngling, leaning back in his chair to recline against the wall. "Admit it; they were going to scrap you. Much like I was. If Cyber hadn't snapped them back to this reality I don't think even Hatchet," He jammed a thumb toward the medic who snorted at the name. "Could yank them off before they gave you a few new dents. You gotta learn to keep your _logical _comments to yourself when it comes to my youngling."

Prowl stared on at the massive weapons specialist for a moment in silence watching him gently tuck his charge's blankets tight around him and pat him lovingly making the little creature smile in recharge.

He sighed heavily to himself.

Even he hadn't wanted what he suggested, but at the time it had seemed the only reasonable action. Now he silently thanked Jazz for his sidestep train of thought. If it hadn't of been for him the youngling might be on Magnus's ship by now without any of them . . . and that secretly terrified the emotionless mech.

"I was only thinking of what might be best for him."

"Which is the only reason you're still online." Ironhide leveled his optics to Prowl again and it was their turn to stare each other down until Hide continued. "You know we're all friends Prowl, we have been since . . . well before all this slag happened, but if you try to talk Optimus into taking Bee away from me again I will put a plasma round up your aft."

"Understood." Prowl submitted. He didn't want to argue with the mech anymore than Hide wanted to be angry with him. It was just the circumstances, and above all it probably had a lot to do with both mechs' fear of history repeating itself.

For a moment the medical bay fell into a silence only disturbed by the soft breath that left Bumblebee as he recharged. The three mechs just stood there soaking up the reassuring sound before Ironhide narrowed his optics at the slight twitch that was living in Prowl's fingers, the way his bright optics were darker with a hunting tint, and the way he slouched slightly.

That alone unnerved him. Prowl _never _slouched.

Casting his optics to Ratchet, Hide called silently to his friend via their bond making the red and yellow medic glance his way in confusion before Ironhide tilted his head toward the workaholic.

It was Ratchet's turn to gaze with scrutiny upon the mech before his own optics narrowed and he strolled forward pulling a scanner out of subspace. Prowl didn't even noticed he'd moved until the scanner was being waved up and down his frame making the two-tone mech straighten immediately shoving the medic's hand away.

"For what absurd reason are you doing that?" Prowl huffed, stepping away when Ratchet ignored being pushed back and continued to evaluate the mech.

"You're always working your stupid aft into stasis lock, but you _never _slouch. Since there appears to be no external cause for alarm I'm assuming it's internal. So what's eating you Prowl?" Ratchet crossed his arms over his chest raising an optics ridge as he stared the smaller mech down.

True to form though, Prowl refused to budge an inch. His once again well constructed mask giving away nothing he didn't want it too. He merely stood up straighter, narrowed his optics, and grasped his data pad in front of him with a look of utter self-control.

"I've not the slightest idea what you are referring too."

Ratchet just snorted. "Sure you don't."

"I don't."

"Prowl." The medic warned a growl growing in his spark.

"I have an army to run. Good night." Prowl waved off Ratchet's tone, spinning on his heels and fleeing the medical bay before another word could be uttered too him.

The hissing door slammed shut behind him leaving Ironhide and Ratchet staring after the place he had been both equally confused until suddenly it clicked in the weapons specialist's processor. His optics widen before he slammed a hand into his faceplate.

Oh Primus, he felt like a selfish bastard.

Ratchet spun to face him in shock before Hide looked up to hold his best friend's optics and the medic saw the name swimming around in them.

"Oh Primus," Ratchet hissed. "Smokescreen!"

"Slag!" Ironhide pushed himself to his feet. These last orns it hadn't even accrued to him. He'd been so wrapped up in _his _issues with Hammerdown, with the chaos that was surrounding Bumblebee, and all the rest of it he hadn't even thought to wonder how Prowl felt. How Hammerdown being here, how the memory of Outrider hanging heavy in the air, how the pain of almost losing the youngling was affecting Prowl.

Because Prowl never complained.

He never voiced his pains or his problems. It just wasn't him. He dealt with it on his own. In silence, behind his emotionless mask.

It usually took Jazz digging around in his best friend's spark before any of the rest of the friends could find out what was on Prowl's mind.

Right now however, Jazz had been a little scattered in the processor himself and Hide doubted that even he had thought to look up and check on the Strategist. Too even wonder if he was coping with the past getting thrown in all their faceplates or not.

Ironhide wasn't the only one with a painful past connected to a friendship linked to Hammerdown, but Hide was the only one that anybot every thought about. Because of Outrider.

But he wasn't the only one who had lost a brother.

"Slag! Slag! Slag! Slag!" Ironhide spun toward the door. "I'm so fraggin' stupid! _We're _so fraggin' stupid! How could we have _forgotten_ Smokey!? How could we—" He slammed a hand into his forehead. "I have to talk to him. Right _now_!"

"Go," Ratchet shoved him out the door. "I'll watch Bumblebee and try to get a hold of Jazz. He might be the only one able to get him to talk."

* * *

Prowl twisted his swivel chair back and forth slowly as he slid his finger across the digital picture album before him. It had been vorns since he'd touched this thing and he wasn't even all that sure why he was putting himself through the torture now. He guessed he just . . . needed to see him.

Finally he came across the photo he'd been looking for, and the sight of it made him tense to keep the old wounds in his spark from flaring up like they had been doing since Hammerdown stepped foot on the ship. He had thought he'd be able to handle it. After all it had happened a few vorns before Outrider offlined and was under completely different circumstances.

He sighed quietly to himself.

Even he knew he was fooling himself, but that had been how he figured he would cope with having the last of the trio back in his life.

Prowl stared at the picture as the memories built up in his processor. Outrider and Hammerdown were two mechs his charismatic little brother had actually trusted when so few had found a way into his spark, past Prowl's protective wall. The trio of them had been a sight to behold back at the Academy.

They had been best friends.

Three best friends getting into all kind of mischief together.

It was at the Academy the picture he was currently staring at had been taken after a milestone for the trio, and it was hauntingly like looking into the past.

Seven mechs made up the picture, most all smiles and laughs while a few looked on with annoyance. Ratchet was one of those, the red and yellow mech at the far left of the picture not even looking at the camera. He was too busy staring over with what looked to be the start of an optic roll at the blue and black—much younger frame of— Hammerdown. The still big even at that time mech had one arm thrown around the medic's shoulders as he gazed with a full on beam at the camera with his other arm thrown around the equally as built yet equally as young mech to his right. The deep red colored mech was the spitting image of Ironhide; it was scary how much the two looked like even back then.

There was absolutely no denying they were siblings.

Even attitude wise they were similar the only real difference between them being the younger and brighter colored mech was far more impulsive than Hide and he got himself and his trio of lunatics into a lot of trouble because of it. That had been Outrider though, and in that picture he had been being his normal self. One arm tossed over Hammer's shoulders, a gleaming play-mech smile, his simmering sky blue optics shining as always, and the other arm tossed around his older brother's shoulders. Ironhide had ended up squished between Prime and his little brother in that picture, the massive black mech didn't seem all that unhappy to be there though. He was half looking at the camera half looking at his brother with a grin as he kept a close grip on his younger sibling and the other strong arm around Prime.

Optimus looked as pleased as the younger mechs to be in the picture as he grinned at the camera with as much enthusiasm as Jazz was. The Prime's arm around the shorter silver mech as Jazz flipped the camera a peace sign with the hand that was wrapped around the shoulders of a younger tri-tone mech with a mostly white frame streaked here and there with blues and reds to match his personality in ways that couldn't be explained.

After all, how did paint truly match a mech's spirit?

It wasn't logical, but that had been Smokescreen. He looked similar to Prowl. Standing there in that picture with his arm thrown tightly around his big brother's shoulders holding a younger version of Prowl to his side with that brilliant free-spark smile. It was easy to see how much they were built alike in stance and size, down to the matching red arches over there optics, but personality wise they couldn't have been more different. If Prowl staring at his brother in emotionless amusement in that picture didn't show that he doubted anything ever would. Because he stood there with his brother hugging him tight not even looking at the camera while Smokey ate it up. Prowl hadn't any interest in the photo at the time, he was content watching Smokey smile, laugh, and just be his carefree little brother that never took anything seriously.

How in Pit had they been related?

Even to this orn he swore his creators adopted that lunatic.

While Prowl had been rules and guidelines, living by his processor, and learning everything he could. Smokescreen had been goof off and fun times, doing what he felt was right in his spark, and hardly ever getting his foolish aft to class. They couldn't have been more of polar opposites, but that didn't mean Prowl hadn't loved him. Smokescreen was his little brother, as vastly different as they were, they had been siblings and Prowl held in his hand now the last picture they had ever taken together.

A picture he loved with his whole spark.

* * *

_"Hey, Prowler!"_

_The two-tone mech had been in the middle of telling Prime and Jazz about the assignment Sentinel Prime wanted to discuss, but the spark filled voice of his little brother cut him off making the mech turn to find Smokescreen practically skipping up from the Into Building of the Academy complex that stood in the center of Iacon._

_Even from there he could see the grin playing of on the younger mech's faceplate as Hammerdown and Outrider pranced on behind him looking equally as pleased with themselves as Smokey did. The only thing Prowl could think was what in Primus had those three done now?_

_"They look like they just robbed the First Cybertronian National Bank." Ratchet snorted. _

_"I wouldn't put it past them." Jazz laughed._

_"Well I can't say I've never thought I was going to bail at least one of them out of jail one orn." Ironhide shrugged with a grin as the three younger mechs pranced up to them. Rider was at Hide's side in an instant throwing his bulky arm around his older brother's shoulders as he waved a data pad before his faceplate. Hammer took his place on the big black mech's other side doing the same thing as they laughed while Smokey literally slid the last few feet up to Prowl grinning like a fool as he produced a data pad of his own before the mech. _

_Prowl raised a brow at his sibling before taking the offered pad, his optics glancing over it before they widened in surprise at the words that rolled on before him._

_"You graduated Basic Classes in seven vorns?"_

_"That's right Prowler!" Smokey said in a sing-song type of voice as he rocked back and forth in amusement. "You should be proud of me. I actually took my stupid aft to class!"_

_"Oh please," Outrider snorted as Ironhide looked over the things the other two had given him with the same words as Smokescreen's. "_We _took your stupid aft to class."_

_"Yeah Smokey, don't go getting all high and mighty just yet." Hammer laughed. _

_"You all did?" Ironhide asked in shook as he glanced between the two younger mechs that were hanging on him. Hammer and Rider glared at the mech with frowns at the pure disbelief on his faceplate._

_"What?" Hammerdown raised an optics ridge. "We told you we'd pull off Basic without a hitch."_

_"And we did it half the time! Just like we said we could!" Rider nodded quickly his bright sky optics flashing with mischief. "That means we get to go play with the big guns before you know it." He lightly shoved his beloved brother in the arm as Smokescreen whirled back to grin around at the circle of bots that watched the trio in proud disbelief. _

_They'd finished Basic Battle Classes in seven out of fourteen vorns. That was remarkable. How had they even begun to pull that off without at least Optimus knowing about it? _

_Prowl and Ironhide glanced to the red and blue mech as he smiled before he just gave them a shrug. He hadn't had the slightest idea that the three goof offs were doubling up on their classes. He, like all the rest of them, thought they were hardly even going to class._

_Which was something that Prowl and Hide had secretly been okay with._

_Because none of the younger mechs _had _to be trained as soldiers. They didn't have to learn the art of war. They could take civilian classes. Could become scientist, medics, researchers, artist, teachers, or anything else. They didn't have to learn to fight. They didn't have to join the Elite Guard._

_They had been sparked near the end of the Tribal Wars. They had never known the horror and pain that was war. Something every mech around them was thankful for, but the younger mechs didn't care. All they knew was that the mechs they idolized were in the Guard, that they had earned a place amongst Sentinel's trusted crew, and all any of the three of them ever tried to do was make their family proud._

_To prove that they could do what their brothers could. _

_"I don't know about that happening anytime soon." Ironhide leveled his younger sibling in a 'I'm the boss of you, you impulsive fool' type of glare that screamed if he even thought about signing up for Outplacement Lessons he'd beat him with any avoidable weapon. _

_"Awe come on, Hide!" Hammer playfully shook the big mech. "We did it! Can't you mechs just be happy we were actually going to class!?"_

_"Yeah," Smokey snorted. "I was doing something productive without you forcing me too, Prowler. Smile about it!" The tri colored mech reached forward placing his fingers in the corners of Prowl's mouth to force the other mech into a smile making Jazz burst into laughter along with every other bot. _

_Prowl shoved his brother away grumbling something about forcing emotions was not logical, but smiled despite all of it just to watch Smokescreen's faceplate and optics light up with his grin. They might be nothing alike, but Prowl would still do anything to make his younger brother smile._

_"We're moving up in the world mechs!" Rider beamed. "Before you know it we're gonna be screwing up your plans right there beside you!" _

_That was when the deep red colored mech tossed a camera to a passing mech asking him to take a picture and the three had somehow wrangled the other mechs into a group shot ignoring Ratchet and Prowl complaining there was no reason for a picture too which Smokey had snapped that there was always reason to capture happiness a point neither one of them could come up with a comeback for so they fell into line as the picture got snapped. It truly was a moment that Prowl had enjoyed, his brother and those two crazy friends of his tended to bring out a grin from the older mechs no matter what the trio were doing or had gotten themselves into. _

_After the camera flashed Prowl leaned over to Smokescreen capturing his brother's attention looking him square in the optics. "Just promise me you won't sign up for that stupid scouting mission out in Kaon. Please, Smokey. Finish up your last credits here and then you can go out with us on recon."_

_Smokey laughed with a roll of his optics, but even the carefree young mech knew when to actually take his overly serious brother . . . well seriously. He nodded quickly placing a hand over his spark. "I promise, Prowler. We won't go have the adventure of a lifetime in that creepy black abyss of a place."_

_"Smokey, I'm serious." Prowl warned._

_"That goes for me too." Ironhide put in, glaring at the two he claimed. "_I'll _scrap all three of you if I find out you even thought about it."_

_"We know," Rider waved him off with a broad grin. _

_"We'll stay put." Hammer nodded. _

_"No Kaon mission for us."Smokey finished. _

_But they hadn't kept their word. _

_Just like always, when something flashing and exciting got waved in front of Rider and Smokey they snatched it up and Hammer went along for the thrill, the laughs, the few dents and scratches they always earned, and the lecture they'd receive when they finally got back. But that adventure hadn't ended like all the rest that the trio embarked on . . . because Smokescreen never came back._

* * *

"That always was my favorite photo of all of us."

Prowl dropped the picture album to his desk sitting bolt upright in shock as he found Hammerdown in one of the three chairs across from his desk. The white and black mech blinked in shock.

_When the Pit did he come in?_

Prowl hadn't heard a thing.

Hammerdown smiled a sad sort of grin. "Prowl I've been sitting here for a good four klicks. You were kinda lost in the past I guess."

Prowl stared at him for a moment longer in a weary sort of way before slowly picking up the photo album and stuffing it back in the cabinet where it belonged. When he returned his attention to the giant mech sitting across from him every part of Prowl wanted to deny everything and send the mech that he had once known so well on his way. He didn't want to have to face the apology that he could see brewing in Hammer's optics. Not again.

"I was fine." Prowl denied, picking up a stack of unfinished schedules from the corner of his desk hoping the other mech would get the hint and go find something else to do with himself.

It didn't work.

"Yeah," Hammer lifted an optic ridge. "I can tell."

Slamming the data pads back down to his desk Prowl suddenly pinned the other mech in a hot glare. "What is it that you want, Hammerdown? I'm busy. I don't have time to sit here and chat."

Hammer leaned back in his seat looking a little startled before he played it off with a snort. Slouching down he rested his elbows on the arms of the chair using them to hold up his weight as he laced his fingers over his chest and rested his chin on his own armor.

"I'm sorry." He stated making Prowl flinch, all the anger rushing right out of him. "But you already knew that. So I know you don't see the point in me saying it. I have too though. I was going to come sooner, but to be quite honest I didn't know how to face you after all this time. I had the whole issue with Ironhide on top of that, but that has gotten better. Magically. I just . . . I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten him. Neither of us ever did. And I needed you to know that we really did try to save him. That night in—"

"Stop!"

Hammer looked up to find Prowl staring down at his desk his hands shaking just the slightest bit before he curled them into fist to get a grip on his emotions.

"Just . . . stop. Please." Prowl sighed not lifting his optics. "I know all of that. I know you two would have never left him on purpose. I know you refused to go and that Crosshairs had to drag your sorry frames out of that slaughter. I know you all did everything you could, but that Smokescreen was still lost. I _am _aware of all that. But Hammerdown I do not hate you, nor did I hate Outrider. It was neither of your faults he was offlined. It was all of you who decided to go against the only thing Hide and I asked of you and go to Kaon. His own foolishness got him killed. Nothing you _or _Rider could have done would have changed the ambush. Staying to try and find him would have only led to the two of you getting offlined, and I didn't and still don't wish that."

Hammerdown stared in silence at the mech before him as Prowl slowly lifted his optics to hold the darker ones of the younger mech.

The night the Outplacement Student Scouts got ambushed on the outskirts of Kaon by, what at the time it was thought to be a group of surviving Tribe mechs, but had actually been the beginning of Megatron's forces had ended in a full on slaughter. Only seven mechs of the twenty-eight that went on the mission came back to the Academy. Sentinel had called it an unfortunate outcome, and had used it to mistakenly fuel the mech that had caused it.

Prowl called it the night his spark broke.

The soldiers in training hadn't stood a chance against the forces that attacked them that night. The only reason the seven that made it back did was because Crosshairs—the Targetmaster—had been leading the party. He was the only reason Hammerdown and Outrider made it home in somewhat of one piece. They had almost been offlined as well, because they wouldn't leave. From what Prowl had been told by Crosshairs after it was all over was that Smokescreen had been ahead of the whole group being his usual self with Hammer and Rider following close behind when the first bomb went off. After that the tri colored mech was lost in the chaos. Crosshairs never saw him again. He assumed the first blast killed him, but Outrider and Hammerdown had refused to leave him there. The two fought like demons against odds they couldn't possibly conquer trying to find their friend, their brother. They hadn't been able to though and they almost got offlined because of it. Crosshairs had literally drug them out by their scruff bars kicking and screaming the whole way even if both of them were almost in stasis lock from the injuries they had sustained.

Prowl knew the two had done everything that was possibly in their power to bring Smokescreen home, but he also knew that it was logical to assume that there was nothing left of him for them to find. From all Crosshairs had told him he knew his little brother was gone when that first bomb went off and it was no mech's fault, but Smokey's and those glitches of Megatron's.

He'd only been the equivalent of a human nineteen year old when he died. He had been a youngling as far as Prowl or any of the rest of their strange little family was concerned just as they viewed Hammerdown and Outrider the same. Smokey was the youngling Prowl had promised his dying carrier and sire he would protect.

He was the first and last reason Prowl let his spark get shattered.

A mech he'd forced to the back of his memory for his own sanity's sake.

He knew it was illogical to put so much blame on himself, to let the empty place in his spark where Smokey had once been rule him in such way, but it did. It had taken him vorns to get over the loss of his brother. Something only his friends knew because only they could see through his mask. He had only broken down and cried once, and Jazz had been the only witness. After that Prowl knew he had to move on though. Knowing that Smokey would hate him if the crazy idiot knew that he let it dictate who he was and what he did. So he went on with his life. He held nothing against Hammer and Rider when they had finally been released from intensive care.

They had changed though, just like everything else did.

The attack on the Scouts was only the first of many strikes against the Guard and within ten vorns Megatron's truth came out. He murdered Sentinel, declaring war against Optimus and his right to the thrown within that tenth vorn, and the Golden Age of Cybertron came to an energon soaked end. Sides were declared and war was once again very real.

And the two young mechs that hadn't known anything but peace in their short lives were suddenly thrown into choosing what to do with themselves, but they weren't the same. Smokescreen's death shattered their lives and even if it made them lean heavier on each other, made the two best friends closer, in the end it was the first nail in the coffin for Outrider. It made him even more impulsive and reckless. Ironhide had done everything in his power to talk the young mech down, to make him realize it wasn't his fault, and that he had a chance to make a difference, but when Elita One, Arcee, Chromia and Whiteout were killed and Prime's, Ratchet's, and Ironhide's world came undone that was what really shoved Rider off the deep end. When he didn't have his ever strong and constant brother there to pick him up, when Outrider lost the last family they had, he was done for.

Prowl had seen it coming.

He had tried to stop it, just like Prime, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Jazz. They had all tried to save the last two younglings they had left to protect.

But they failed just like they did with Smokescreen.

Outrider signed with bounty hunters no matter how hard Hammer tried to keep him from doing it and he picked a fight he couldn't win knowing it when he went in. His reckless nature got him offlined just like Smokescreen.

And suddenly Hammerdown was alone and spark-broken without—as far as he was concerned—a friend in the universe. He took the pain out on Ironhide and any of the rest of them that tried to get through to him. Then suddenly he vanished.

Right off the face of the freaking planet.

One orn he'd been there with Ratchet and Prime keeping an optic on him after the fight he'd had with Ironhide and the next he wasn't.

None of them knew what happened to the blue and black mech. They feared he would pull something like Outrider did now that he'd thought he'd lost the only family he had left, but a few vorns later he reappeared as suddenly as he'd vanished. With some insanely skilled, short, pearl white mech in tow and signed onto Hot Rod's crew without speaking a word to any of them.

That had been it.

The group of friends that had had each other's backs from the very beginning had lost every youngling they'd ever cared about, their family was broken, and then there was the war that was shattering everything around them and steadily destroying every spark on Cybertron. Especially after the Sectors fell.

They had lost everything, their hope, their families, and themselves.

That is until Bumblebee came along.

Prowl reasoned out that that was probably the cause of why these last few orns he'd been hurting so bad in his spark about Smokescreen. Almost losing the tiny yellow mech had brought back all the times he'd failed and all the pain he'd overcome vorns ago. He was handling it on his own though, he didn't need Ratchet's worry, Jazz trying to make him talk about it, and he especially didn't need Hammerdown sitting across his office trying to apologize for something that wasn't his fault.

Because none of it was going to change anything. Nothing anybot said was going to bring his little brother back. So why not just leave the past in the past?

"It's the past, Hammerdown." Prowl said quietly. "Nothing will change it so it is better to leave it behind us. Each of us has learned all we can. It's time to move forward."

"That doesn't mean you can't remember them. Him." Hammer offered.

"I do remember. I remember the good. Sometimes the bad just stings a little worse."

"That I understand." The other sighed heavily as he pushed himself up in the chair to sit properly for a moment only to slouch down again as he tried to get the words out. "I just . . . needed you to know . . . that I was sorry. For _everything_ . . . you know?"

"Yes, Hammerdown." Prowl nodded. "I know. We always knew."

Hammer nodded in return as a slow smile crept up his faceplate forcing a small smile from Prowl as well as the big blue and black mech crossed his arms behind his head.

"You know," He shrugged. "I do kinda like that little mech. He's tough stuff."

Prowl had to laugh a little under his breath as he began going through his schedules again. "He has to be, but yes you are right he is something else."

"He's good for all you."

Prowl optics widened ever so slightly as he slowly glanced back up to find Hammer still in the same position only now his grin was a full of beam. Shaking his head slightly to keep the laughter at bay the Strategist returned his focus to his work, but not before he mumbled. "He is good for everybot."

Hammerdown nodded with his grin still in place content to just sit quietly then and watch the other mech work just like all those times before, but the silence that snuggled in around them for a moment was broken when the door to Prowl's office slid open with a loud, annoying, hiss and Ironhide and Jazz stepped in only to stop abruptly at what they saw.

Prowl didn't even lift his optics.

He knew who it was, but Hammer twisted from his comfortable slouch to find the slightly shocked optics of the big black mech and the other silver one staring back at his grin in shock.

"Well, well." He laughed. "Seems great processors think alike."

"Hammerdown?" Ironhide questioned in shock. "What in Pit are you doing here?"

Prowl and Hammer glanced at each other for a klick before Hammer rolled his head back to grin up at Hide.

"Nothin'" He assured the massive mech. Quickly pushing himself to his feet, his tired hydraulics groaning at the action then Hammerdown nodded to Prowl before giving Jazz and Hide a smirk and a nod as well before he shoved them both aside from the door heading out in search of his best friend. "See you later mechs. Love to stay and chat, but unlike some special high ranks on this ship I have shift in the morning. You know the life a grunt and all." He was still going on about the joys of being at the bottom of the pecking order and such until his voice could no longer be heard as he disappeared down the halls of _Artemis 1_.

Hide and Jazz glanced at each other before turning equally confused optics to Prowl who merely shrugged and went back to reading his schedules.

For a moment all was silent until Jazz crossed his arms over his chest. "So you going to tell us what the Pit was going on and whether or not you're alright, or you just going to play it off?"

Prowl smiled just a bit looking back to his friends. "Everything is fine."

And for once when Prowl spoke those words, Hide and Jazz believed him.

* * *

"So," Magnus's quiet yet commanding voice echoed through the video chat link in Prime's office. "Are you taking care of my ship?"

Optimus snorted. Leave it to Magnus that at a time like this those were the first words he uttered when the screen came online. He must be in a surprising good mood.

"If I remember correctly," Optimus smiled despite the situation. "You gave this ship to me many, many, vorns ago."

"Yes," Magnus nodded, his light optics sparkling. "But it is still named for my late sparkmate and I intend to keep tabs on how you are treating her name sake."

"You _Artemis 1 _is fine, Ultra Magnus." Optimus assured him. "And she will be sitting alongside you in a few orns."

"Good. It's been too long."

Optimus laughed. "Well at least one of us feels like joking."

"Blame Hot Rod." Magnus shrugged on the other side of the screen. "His moods tend to rub off and I've been in a video conference with him for two breems."

"That usually puts you in a worse mood." The Prime pointed out.

"He is unnaturally chipper." Magnus explained. "Seems we have a few less Terrorcons to worry about."

"Really?" Optimus optic ridges rose in surprise.

"Yes. Blot and Sinnertwin are offline. However, the real news I wanted to inform you of is where you _dear _older brother is at the moment."

"Oh, and where is the slagging glitch?"

"Currently getting his aft chased around Tyger Pax by Hot Rod's bunch of lunatics." Magnus smirked.

Optimus couldn't stop the full on laugh. It was sparked from Magnus's silly grin and fueled by the relief that flooded the mech's systems. So Megatron wasn't chasing him down in search of the youngling. He was busy trying to outsmart Roddy.

_Good luck with that one, Megatron._

Hot Rod could handle whatever the Decepticon Lord threw at him. However, Optimus figured he'd be hearing from the brightly painted commander about how he had to deal with the glitch without two of his best warriors pretty soon.

"Is he fairing well?" Optimus questioned.

"Oh please, Optimus." Magnus answered. "Hot Rod is more than capable of taking care of himself and his crew. He will keep the glitch busy long enough for you to get here and for us to have the youngling safely behind both of us."

"I do thank you for this, Ultra Magnus." Optimus added quietly.

"Optimus you are the Prime. Remember?" Magnus lifted an optic ridge. "You are the High Commander of this army."

"That isn't wh—"

"I know, old friend. Just thought I should point out that you didn't have to ask us if we were willing. You give the orders."

Optimus shook his head sadly. "I'm aware, my friend. Just as of late I've been wondering if my judgment has been . . . sound."

"Megatron would have discovered him sooner or later, Optimus and the viper on your ship was not your fault. There was nothing you could have done that would have changed present events." Magnus tried to assure him.

"No, Magnus." Optimus lifted his optics to hold his friend's gaze. "I'm afraid that's where you're wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"I fear something might have come to light. Something about Bumblebee that I have not yet shared with even Ironhide and Ratchet."

Magnus's optics widened. "And what is that?"

"Magnus," Optimus sighed. "Do you remember Trickster?"

Magnus stared at him for a long moment his blue optics calculating before he blinked in shock. "You mean that . . . that . . . ."

"Yes," Prime nodded slowly staring down at his laced fingers. "That one."

* * *

Long, powerful, strides carried the massive black mech over the vast empty planes that stretched on between Tyger Pax and Iacon. His sharp ice blue optics missing nothing amongst the ancient ruble as his tall ear like audio receptors tracked the roar of engines that thundered somewhere overhead as he raced through the pouring acid rain to keep up. He'd been tracking the battleship ever since it took flight from its stationary post, having to leave his previous entertainment to follow the Prime and his foolish plan.

Trickster rolled his optics as his paws slammed repeatedly into the hard, wet ground.

Did the commander really think he could cheat fate?

That wasn't like the Prime. He had always been brutally honest even with himself. So running away from the inevitable wasn't really his style. Then again when the youngling was involved, the watcher had learned all previous rules no longer applied.

Even for himself and his siblings.

After all he was currently running through an acid rain storm tracking a ship that was easily leaving him in the dust. That really wasn't like him either.

He smiled slightly to himself with a shake of his huge head trying to get the stinging green liquid from his optics. There truly was something about that little yellow mech that was steadily changing the very world around him, and he didn't even know it.

Suddenly out before him, Trick caught sight of a rocky outcropping that looked to be what was left of a once mighty tower that now lay crumbed and dead against a cliff creating an oasis against the torture. Pushing his tired frame the last few hundred yards the mech slid in out of the rain shaking his form to get the burning substance off of him.

_Primus, I hate acid rain. _He hissed to himself._ It is vial and it makes me rust._

He paused for a moment thinking that last thought over before he gave himself another good shake to chase it away. "Oh Master help me, I'm starting to sound like Impulse."

"And what's so bad about that, brother?" Trick turned to his left to find two sets of optics glowing in the darkness under the cliff staring back at him. One set, a fiery red that burned with clever ruthlessness, and the other mystical green that swam with the brilliance of a thousand galaxies and the knowledge to go along with them.

He couldn't help his smile.

"I thought you two were going to meet me in Iacon?" He laughed before he once again gave himself a good shake only this time the action was followed by his transformation. Hissing hydraulics, clanking armor, and whirling systems echoed around the darkness as the massive black bot shifted out of one of his many forms to take up another. This time, his bi-ped form.

For a creature that could take on the appearance of any biomechanical organism he came across his preferred form really was the one that summed him up the best. Probably because it was his true frame, the one he was sparked with. He was made up of sleek, black, rounded armor that in some places held a few harsh angles along his bulky shoulders and legs, but was mostly clean angles and straight lines. His proud faceplate and helmet were the only other places on the mech that was made up of shaper points simply because of the pointed tips of his helmet that most of the time resembled tall ears and the angles of his faceplate that could charm or convince almost anybot into anything. He had a way of bending the truth to fit his moods that was so amazing it even still surprised his siblings sometimes.

However, this time it was he that had been surprised by his dear siblings.

What were they doing out here?

"Change of plans." The fire like optics walked from the shadows giving shape to their owner. Trickster's older brother.

Impulse.

Where Trickster was soft lines Impulse was anything but. He was made of jaggedly pointed silver armor and massive flyer wings flexing powerfully under his gigantic sharp shoulders. His thick arms were built much like the rest of him with harsh angles and hidden blades creating a being that was better suited for stealth and battle than he was at using his voice. He was, in every way, built for war even down to his calculating faceplate that seldom showed what was truly going on in that clever processor of his.

He was not the diplomat.

No that was Trickster.

Impulse was much more his namesake.

"Oh?" Trickster crossed his arms over his thickly armored chest. He was well aware how much his fellow watcher didn't want anything to do with their current quest. He didn't believe the . . . oh how did he put it? 'Worthless Runt'. Yes, that was it. He didn't believe the worthless runt could possibly be one of them. While Trickster had fell spark first into that brilliant warmth that was that tiny one, but he knew his more ruthless counterpart needed a little more convincing. He just wondered if he had finally decide to believe what Trick had been saying or if this was about something else.

He doubted it.

Evermore was here.

That was proof enough.

"Yes, Trick." A feather like voice drifted to the black mech's audio receptors making both mechs turn to the shadows to watch as a beautiful femme emerged from the darkness. She was larger than most femmes, coming up to about the height of Trickster's shoulders in his bi-ped form and Impulse's chest, but it wasn't her size that made her striking. It was her mystical green optics, the softest in her voice, and the kindness in her spark. Unlike her two siblings she was brightly painted, a rich sky blue with dark purple highlighting her calves and arms. A bright green 'v' like arch stood tall on her forehead quivering like flower petals as she moved making her dark green optics shimmer even more. The soft way she was built with easy angles and curvy armor completed the almost dainty package the femme gave off. At first glimpse she looked to be nothing other than a pretty faceplate, but her siblings knew better.

Beneath that layer of soft words and kind actions was a warrior that rivaled the fiercest Gladiators the Rings ever knew. She was absolutely lethal when crossed. Something many bots learned at the cost of their sparks.

She was one of them. Through and through.

"You _might _be right." Impulse grumbled irritably as he tapped a claw against his jagged silver arm.

"Might I?" The black mech couldn't stop his chuckle at the tangible annoyance that rolled from the other mech. Impulse hated it when Trick was right.

He always had.

Evermore smiled a spark melting smirk as she rested a hand on her hip giving the huge silver mech an optic roll before she turned her pretty grin to the other bot. "We felt it."

Trick's optic ridges rose in surprise before he tilted his head. "Really?"

Impulse grumbled something both his siblings were pretty sure weren't real words before Evermore nodded.

"How could anybot miss it?"

"You were eighteen galaxies away when I called for you, Ever." Trick pointed out. "How could you have possibly felt his spark cry out from way out there?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that." Ever answered.

Actually a little shocked Trickster turned his gaze to Impulse.

"Pulse?" He baited. "Are you going to deny you felt the youngling's pain?"

"I don't know what I felt." Impulse growled back.

"Yeah, that's what I figured you'd say." Tick snickered before he turned from his beloved siblings to stare out at the pouring rain, his highly sensitive audio receptors tracking the progress of the battleship that currently held the object of his overwhelming curiosity.

He was going to have his proof.

Very soon.

That much he was sure of, the only thing that was left to figure out was what was going to become of the tiny one when the truth came to light. He belonged to the three of them, but Trick knew that Prime wasn't going to let him go so easily.

Smiling to himself he spoke as his siblings came to stand on each side of him. "This should prove to be quite amusing."

"Interesting if nothing else." Impulse admitted.

"Wonderful." Evermore added. "Absolutely wonderful."

* * *

**And they have names! **

**Finally! **

**Anybody remember the two 'watchers' from the last chapter of the first part? Well here they are along with their sister. We have Trickster, Impulse, and Evermore. **

**Quite interesting aren't they? I mean, what could they possibly want with Bumblebee?**

**Well have no fear it gets even more complicated.**

**So, what did you think?**

**Cyber, Sunny, and Sides have a scary lot in common don't they? **

**Then there's Prowl and Hammerdown. Come on. Emotion! Prowl has emotion! I'm sorry I couldn't help it, it just happened. I'm placing all the fault on Prowl though. He told me it. So its his own fault he now gets to hop on the war destroys _everything _train.**

**It's not a fun train.**

**Though it does make some great stuff to work with! **

**And yes in my crazy tale Smokescreen and Prowl are brothers . . . just roll with it. There are methods to my madness. I promise. **

**Anyway, next chapter might be up Saturday if you guys are kind enough to leave me your thoughts, but for now have a hint about what's coming up next.**

**Never leave Jazz to get desperate. He does _really _stupid things when he gets desperate. But it is soooo funny.**

**Chat with ya later**

**-Jay**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

**However, the plot and OCs are mine.**

**Chapter 12**

**How much I never thought I'd get here. **

**Thank you to those who reviewed and to all of you who read.**

**Now go forth and enjoy Jazz being an idiot. I know I did.**

* * *

Chater 12

The hard metal cards banged against each other as Jazz's nimble fingers shuffled and stacked them over and over in the quiet rec room while he sat across a small round table from Drift. The large, powerful white and red mech watched Jazz through the familiar clear visor his light blue optics glowing behind. Leaning back in his chair the mech crossed his arms over his broad chestplates his dangerous blades tucked away in his berthroom. He had no use for them off shift. Besides there was a pretty good chance he just might get drunk enough tonight to barter them away. That depended on how well Jazz's first round went though.

The silver mech had been trying to get his beloved visor back since before the youngling came to be on this ship and he still hadn't managed to win it back from the warrior. Drift smirked slightly as he watched Jazz deal out two cards each to them before laying one down between them.

The game had begun.

Reaching forward Drift lifted the edges of his Dueling Cards to find out what he had. A red Commander of Stars and a Blue Scout of Stars. He glanced up from behind his visor to find a matching Commander card on the table between him and the ninja. Hiding his smirk behind a stone cold warrior's mask he waited for Jazz to observe his own hand and make the first bet of the round metal credits sitting to each of their sides.

Jazz waited patiently as he looked over his cards and weighed his options. He'd lost to this mech too many times to not take his skills at bluffing and his unreadable poker face seriously. However, this orn Jazz was determined to get his slagging visor back! And maybe a little more.

Picking up two credits the silver ninja tossed them into the center of the table than leaned back and waited. Drift responded quickly enough matching the bet only to lean back and wait for the next card.

The game went on like that for a while. The cards were laid out and the bets were raised until five cards lay out before the two mechs and they stared through playful narrow slits at each other each drumming their fingers on the table. The stack of credits between them was several inches off the table and atop the stack sat Jazz's long lost visor like the icing on the energon cake. Though Jazz didn't watch the object of his interest, instead he held the steady gaze of the warrior across from him that was showing his optics for the first time in vorns.

"We're been here before, Jazz." Drift smirked.

"That we have." Jazz nodded in return.

"Might be the last time for a while."

Jazz's optic ridge rose. "Huh?"

"Didn't you hear?" Drift tilted his head. "I'm getting transferred."

"Really?" Jazz almost forgot the game between them. Transferred? Why in Pit was the big idiot getting transferred?

"Yep," Drift nodded. "Me, Outback, Blurr, and Cosmos. Heading back with Hammerdown and Cyber to Hotrod's ship."

"I didn't know bots were getting transferred."

"Well Prime approached us a couple of orns ago. Seems some troops are shifting around once this is all settled—if it gets settled."

Jazz hid his scowl behind a blink. Transfers. What was Optimus up to now? It wasn't uncommon. Troops jumped ships every now and again following the action and their friends, but no mech had transferred off_ Artemis 1 _since Bumblebee came along.

The notion kind of shocked Jazz.

"Did you ask for a transfer?"

"Nah," Drift shook his head. "Outback and Cosmos were going along to help out on the front so I guess it was kind of them that asked for it, but Prime didn't really want to send those two accident prone mechs to Hot Rod without a few to keep them in line. Primus knows Hot Rod already has the craziest mess of us all already. So he asked Blurr and me if we'd like to get some fresh air for maybe a vorn or two. Depends on the action. Percy ain't really all that happy with us, but he'll get over it and the youngin' won't even notice we're gone."

"He'll notice." Jazz countered.

"He'll be fine." Drift lifted a ridge in return. "He has to get use to this being a war some orn anyway."

"I think he's figuring it out well enough on his own." The silver ninja sighed. "That isn't really a good thing."

"Didn't say it was." Drift shrugged running a finger over his cards. "But it is true. So the sooner he realizes nothing is certain the sooner he'll be able to handle it."

"He's _nine _vorns old, Drift." Jazz narrowed his optics. "He is one vorn older than a sparkling. He has a good hundred and fifty vorns before he even comes close to being considered grown. And that isn't really grown it's just adolescents."

"I know that as well as you do." Drift flipped his cards over showing his matched Commander cards before him. "I'm just stating what I see and right now I see a pair of Commanders so unless you have something that looks better than this I keep your beloved visor _and_ your credits."

Jazz snorted in amusement. "Sorry dear buddy of mine, but this time I got ya beat."

He flipped his cards to revel a pair of black Aces.

Drift blinked. "Well, frag."

Jazz laughed in triumph as he snatched his visor and his newly won credits from the table stuffing the credits in subspace before he snapped on the visor he'd gone too long without. "Ah it's good to be whole again."

Drift admitted his defeat with a good natured laugh leaning back in his chair crossing his arms. Jazz beamed across the table at him before he too settled back in his seat. The pair of friends observed each other for a klick before Jazz hopped to his feat motioning the warrior after him. Drift watched for a moment until Jazz reached the door turning back to face him motioning to him again.

Shrugging the white and red mech pushed himself to his feet and followed the silver ninja into the halls of the ship not asking where they were headed until they came to a stop in front of a familiar door.

Lifting an optic ridge Drift turned to Jazz who grinned widely back before he knocked his knuckles against the hard surface. It took about a klick before the sound of footsteps could be heard and the door slid open to Sideswipe with a mouthful of popped kernel energon. He grinned stupidly around the snack that was stuffed into his cheeks at the sight of the pair.

"Jazz! You got your visor back."

Jazz snickered. "And you raided the mess hall."

"Yep!" Sides mumbled around his mouthful as he stepped aside and motioned the two into his and Sunstreaker's quarters. It wasn't the first time Drift had been in the lair of the terror twins, he'd helped plan many a bad ideas and spent many a nights playing video games in this extra large berthroom, but he had to admit this was the first time he stepped in to find Sunny laying upside down in his berth that hung from the wall over Sideswipe's with his head hanging over empty space, a game controller in his hands, and his feet propped up on the wall as he twisted the gaming device back and forth his optics glued on the huge screen across the berthroom.

Drift wagered the lunatics were feeling better than they had been.

"Evening, Drift!" Sideswipe plopped back down on their long black couch pulling his bowl of popped kernels into his lap as Jazz sat beside him stuffing his hand into the bowl while Drift walked to the end of the couch and sat.

"Sideswipe." He greeted.

Sides waved a hand full of snacks.

"Sunstreaker."

The golden twin hummed in response not looking away from his battle game. Drift glanced to the screen to find the mech shooting some type of alien worm like beast before he decided he really didn't care what Wheeljack had made for the twins to test this time and he turned to Jazz lifting an optic ridge.

"Jazz?" He spoke. "No offence, but why did you bring me down here?"

"Wanna help us sneak Half Pint out of the Medical Bay and stash him in here to watch some movies and play some games so he can stop living locked up in a fraggin' cage?" Sunstreaker didn't miss a beat in his laser blasting giant worms as he quietly asked.

Drift blinked for a moment before leaning back on the couch staring at all the bots around him. "Haven't you two learned your lesson about sneaking off with the youngling yet?"

"Nope!" Sides mumbled.

"Why am I not surprised?" Drift snorted.

"So you in?" Jazz tilted his head at the warrior.

He was quiet for a moment only to shrug and sink down on the couch. "Why not? Sounds like it could be fun. Might as well get in trouble before I get shipped out. What's the plan?"

"Oh don't worry about that part." Jazz assured him. "All you gotta do is blow up the shooting range."

Drift regarded the saboteur with bemusement before he simply shrugged and agreed. "You'll are going to make Prime offline you all one orn. You know that right?"

"Most likely it will be Hatchet, not Prime." Sides chuckled. "But you are probably right."

"Well I'm certainly not gonna get snuffed by some stupid Decepticon!" Sunstreaker hissed.

"Whatever, I'm in. When we gonna get our stupid afts on the business end of Prime's blade?"

"Tomorrow." Jazz answered.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Mechanical purrs rumbled through the little mech's empty recharge bringing Bumblebee blinking back into reality to find slit blue optics hovering over him. For a moment the tiny youngling stared in confusion until the purrs grew into full on happy mews and he suddenly found his short arms wrapped around the neck of his beloved pet.

"Risk!" Bee all put chirped as he held tight to the two-toned robo-cat that mewed happily rubbing his short muzzle into Bee's blanket covered cheat. Quiet chuckles could be heard around the medical bay, but Bumblebee paid them no mind as he giggled while a purring Risk plopped down on top of the tiny mech his paws almost hugging his master while his tail wrapped tightly around the pair of them.

_"Bee." _The creature's spark called lovingly to his master as Bee kissed the pet on his nose plate laughing as Risk snorted at the action and then sneezed sending the youngling into an even bigger fit of giggles.

"Well I think it's safe to say he's pleased. Both of them." Wheeljack grinned from where he was stuffing tools half hazard into a box so he could return to his own laboratory and finally get out from under Ratchet's judgmental gaze.

"Yes." Ratchet nodded very pleased with this optimistic turn of events. However, he was still a little shocked if he was being honest with himself. When he came out of recharge this morning to find slit blue optics blinking down at him he almost had a spark attack. He was quite grateful no mech had been around to see him practically fly out of his berth only to realize that he wasn't being attacked. There was simply a robo-cat sitting on his berth since he'd knocked it off his chest.

How or why the silly creature managed to come out of stasis lock the medic didn't know, and as crazy as it might be for him to admit it . . . he was okay with that. The creature had woken up—all on his own—and was now right where he needed to be.

Comforting his beloved master.

Bee kept right on giggling well into the orn as he clung to Risk's two-tone frame and the robo-cat made no move to leave him. The best buds simply hunkered down in the youngling's mound of pillows completely riveted by the organic program that flashed on for breams on the TV screen that Jazz had brought them that morning. Said silver saboteur was currently propped up in a chair at the youngling's side with his foot bouncing irritably as he watched Ratchet and Wheeljack toss tools at each other in an effort to get one wacky bot out of the other's space. Their constant picking at each other wasn't what had Jazz on edge—it really wasn't helping—but it wasn't the cause. What had his spark twisting up in knots in his chest was the tiny yellow mech to his left.

For all the giggles and riveted amusement with his program Jazz could still feel it, or more accurately he _couldn't_ feel it.

He reached for Lil' Bee's spark, pleaded with his own for the connection he shared with the little brother he never had, but he found nothing besides foggy numbness. It made him want to ring Ratchet's stupid medic neck.

And by Primus he'd thought about doing just that!

Six orns.

Six fraggin' orns of this slag!

Six orns of watching Bumblebee sit there patiently, not complaining, not whining, not fighting back, not doing much of _anything_. He just sat there on that berth staring silently ahead of him like he was lost and looking for something. Not even Ironhide and Optimus could really get much of a rouse out of him. He'd speak when spoken too, and listen to those that tried for his attention, but quite honestly this orn was the first time since the twins had him drawing that he'd done much more than just sit there quietly and stare into space.

Ratchet said it was because he was worried about Risk, and now that he had the robo-cat back it should get better. Jazz guessed it kind of had. He was actually smiling and laughing, but it still wasn't the Bumblebee they all loved.

And they all knew it.

Though none of them knew why. However, Jazz thought he might have an idea.

The tiny mech wasn't meant to be in a cage.

Of any kind.

The twins had made that point once and the whole ship had changed their ways because of it, but running with their fraggin' tails between their legs from Mega-idiot didn't really help the case of stop treating Bumblebee like he was a prisoner.

Strapped down to a medical berth didn't really help it either.

Jazz watched from behind his newly reclaimed visor as Bee stroked Risk's audio receptors absent mindedly while the feline mech purred in his lap both bots watching the organic creature called an 'eagle' soar across his TV screen as a monotone voice explained it's life and functions. While Bee found the program amazing, Jazz didn't really care much for the organic planet that fascinated the youngling so. For now he was much more interested in the little plan that was bubbling in the back of his processor.

Something that could probably make even Ratchet glitch when he found out what Jazz, Drift, and the twins were up too.

Well okay it was really more what Jazz and the twins were up too, but when Drift lost the game last night it got him roped in on the little plan too. Not that Jazz thought the skilled warrior minded. He wasn't all that thrilled with the youngling being locked up either. He was more than willing to help, he even got Blurr in on the action.

Jazz had shrugged and agreed when the two mech swaggered into his quarters that morning on the twins' heels. Just meant more company when they all got tossed in the brig by Prowler later tonight if their point didn't get across.

Oh who was he kidding?

Prowler was going to toss them in whether they were right or not. Ratchet _had _threatened death upon any that tried to move Bumblebee so if they wanted to live to see the ship touch solid ground again Prowl would have to toss them all in the brig to keep the Medic of Doom from tearing them all apart.

A sudden blast of thunder shock the ship down to its very energon lines making Jazz brace himself against the berth to his left to keep himself from falling out of the chair as a terrified little shriek rang out from Bee.

Slumping down into his blankets Bee blinked in terror as the echoing booms shook him down to his very spark. Risk quickly tightened his tail around the youngling's waist as Bee clutched tighter to his pet's audio receptors glancing around at the med bay as the echoes rumbled off into silence once again.

Bee hated thunder.

He wasn't sure why. He didn't use too, but ever since he'd woken up in the med bay a few orns ago any sound or shadow that he couldn't see coming set him on edge. Everything he couldn't place was glowing optics and that sickening hiss. Even if he knew none of his family was going to let anything hurt him again the fear still gnawed as his spark.

A comforting hand was lightly placed on Bumblebee's head petting him softly drawing the tiny mech out of his fear claimed processor to find Jazz leaning close to him a reassuring smile gracing his faceplate as his bright optics twinkled behind his visor.

Bee didn't really like Jazz's visor.

He wasn't use to it and it made him fell cut off from the silver mech even more since the pain meds in his veins fogged his spark.

"Shush Lil' Bee." Jazz assured him. "It's just thunder it can't hurt you."

Bee whined despite Jazz's comforting voice as he leaned into the mech's hand. So Jazz scooted closer petting him softly. The youngling was aware of Ratchet and Wheeljack watching him carefully from across the medical bay, but he paid them no mind as he snuggled down closer to Risk and Jazz as he turned his attention back to the soaring eagles.

He watched for a while longer trying to ignore the pelting acid rain and thunder that beat at his mighty battleship home while Risk's purrs warmed his clouded spark and Jazz kept a protective hand close to him while Jacky and Ratch cleaned the bay and tossed things at each other. The meds in his veins kept him from noticing the shuttle shifts in Jazz as the program rolled on. He couldn't feel that the silver mech was steadily calling out for his spark trying to get some kind of response. He didn't know when the saboteur simply gave up with a huff, settled into his seat, and opened a private comm link.

**"Yo terror twins. You listening?"**

Static echoed over the comm for a few nano-klicks before Sideswipe's voice echoed back to him.

**"'Bout time Jazz. We were starting to think you'd chickened out."**

**"As if." **Jazz grumbled irritably.

**"Damn, what crawled up your tailpipe and died?" **Sunstreaker huffed.

Jazz sighed. **"Sorry mechs. I'm just tired of being closed off from him."**

**"Well that's kinda all of us, mech." **Sides pointed out. **"Even Hide and Optimus. We aren't sneaking him off because of the pain killers . . . right Jazz? He has to have those."**

**"I'm aware he needs the meds, Sideswipe. No that is not why we are doing this." **Jazz blinked for a moment thinking over the real reason he and the two of them had come up with this. Why had they decided to go against what Ratchet said and sneak him off?

Because he was locked up like some fraggin' prisoner in his own home. That was why!

Jazz sighed.

Yet he had to be or he would die. He had to be strapped down with I.V. and energon transfers hooked too him or they would lose him. Jazz knew all of that, but it still tore his spark out to watch him lay there with that defeated look in his still slightly scared optics.

The tiny mech desperately needed out of these four too white walls. He needed to be reminded that he was still alive, or maybe it was more that Jazz and the twins needed to be reminded that he was still alive.

That was probably what it really was.

**"We're doing it because ****_we _****need it."**

**"Yeah that sounds about right." **Sunstreaker's voice held his optic roll. **"Already did that once. Seems legitimate that we'd do it again."**

**"We've successfully corrupted the saboteur!" **Sideswipe cheered darkly.

**"Been this way all along, Sides." **Jazz snickered silently. **"Can't take credit for that. I've always had a mischief streak. Especially when I'm pissed."**

**"At least you own up to it." **Sides answered. **"Blurr and Drift still live in denial."**

Jazz snorted into the link. **"That's for sure, now speaking of the two fools. Are they ready?"**

**"Hang on a klick." **Sides and Sunny answered together.

Jazz waited patiently for what he assumed was the pair of brother's sneaking around a few halls to see if the other two members of their little band of trouble were finished. While he waited he turned his attention back to Bumblebee who took a moment to glance away from his show to shower Jazz in a bright grin before he went back to watching youngling eagles try to fly. The saboteur grinned to the back of his head until his comm cracked back to life.

**"Get ready for a big boom in 3—"**

The audio receptor splitting expulsion shook the ship worse than the thunder had, knocking Jazz out of his chair and faceplate first into the cold medical bay floor. Ratchet feel to his aft in an angry yell while Wheeljack went tumbling backwards over one of the empty surgery berths he had been stuffing stuff into boxes on. Bee squeaked in fright while Risk arched up off the berth in an hiss at whatever caused the sound that frightened his master.

Jazz groaned audibly as he pushed himself up with his forearms looking around the medical bay. _That went well._

**"SIDESWIPE!" **Ratchet's voice bellowed into the open comm link that ran throughout the ship making Jazz winch in pain as the sound popped his audio receptors worse than the blast. He glanced up again to find Ratchet an all out ball of raging medic furry his blue optics almost glowing with passion as he hauled himself to his feet, grabbed the nearest wrench, and hauled aft toward the door.

**"It wasn't me this time, Wrench! I swear!" **Sideswipe's voice echoed fearfully over the comm link as Sunstreaker could be heard in the back ground yelling.

**"We didn't do it!"**

Ratchet slid to a fuming halt in the door to the bay his hand grasping the wrench so hard it was bending. **"Then. Who. Did." **He snarled out pointy but the twins didn't answer next.

**"Hey uh Ratchet, the shooting range is . . . well . . . ." ** Bluestreak's slightly timid voice sparked to life over the comm.

**"Well what, Bluestreak?!" **That was Prowl voice and he didn't sound happy.

Jazz let his faceplate fall back to the floor.

They were _so_ dead.

**"It's well . . . kinda . . . in flames." **Came Bluestreak's reply.

**"Who the pit blew up my slagging shooting range!?" **Ironhide's snarl came echoing across the link.

It wasn't supposed to be _that _big of a bang . . . .

_Yeah. _Jazz banged his faceplate one time into the floor while Bumblebee peaked over his berth at him. _Sooooooooooooo dead. _

**"Wheeljack, what did you make explode now!?" **Perceptor's voice joined the mix.

**"Hey!" **Wheeljack hauled himself to his feet from the other side of the berth he'd fallen over with a box on his head. Bee snickered at how silly he looked as he tried to pull it off his large audio receptors. **"I'm innocent!"**

**"Jack's been with me!" **Ratchet hissed. **"He didn't do it."**

**"Doesn't mean one of his little toys didn't!" **Percy shot back.

**"Why don't you all stop bickering and get somebot down there and find out?" **Optimus's tired voice could be heard finally echoing over the comm. **"That might be the more productive course of action." **

**"Right, Prime." **Prowl's much more in control tone came then as he started giving orders until Optimus cut him off with one more comm.

**"Oh and twins?" **He called.

The whole ship seemed to take a scared breath as the waves were nothing but static silence until Sideswipe softly answered.

**"Yes, oh wise and powerful best leader in the whole wide universe?" **

**"If I find out either of you had ****_anything_**** to do with why there is now a burning hole in the middle of my ship I will throw you into the brig until you rust. Am I clear?" **

Jazz gulped as he pushed himself to his feet opening up his private comm with the twins again. **"Sides, Sunny," **He called. **"You guys should probably run."**

**"It wasn't supposed to make _that_ big of a boom." **Sides pleaded to Jazz.

**"SIDESWIPE!"** The whole ship bellowed.

Jazz slapped his palm to his forehead. _Idiot. _

Sides groaned.** "I just said that over open comm didn't I?" **

**"Run fools." **Jazz told him.

Ratchet and Wheeljack raced out of the medical bay matching the action of probably most of the other mechs on this ship while Jazz simply leaned against the youngling's berth and sighed. _Well there goes that plan._

"Uh, Jazzy?" Bee questioned. The silver mech looked down only to realize that Bumblebee had no comm links. He had no idea all of what was just said or why part of the ship just exploded. Well that should be fun to explain. Tell the youngling a plan to take him on a unauthorized field trip just went horribly wrong.

That would end well.

For a klick Jazz stood there looking at Bee thinking everything over only to abruptly break down in hysterical laughter. Despite all the trouble he was going to get in for this he still found it funny. Only the twins could screw up _that _royally bad, and there was no telling where Drift and Blurr were. Probably under a pile of ruble in the shooting range. Part of him wondered if he should try and comm them or put the hint in one of the mech's that they should be looking for the two, but he couldn't make himself do it. Laughing from deep in his spark he knew they would be fine and that pretty soon they were all going to be sitting down in the brig together laughing about this.

For now though he had other matters to attend too.

Jazz skipped around the berth Bee and his pet sat on watching him with confused optics as he began unhooking monitors and transfers from the wall hooking them to the portable devices that Ratchet always kept stashed nearby. Once all that was needed to keep Bumblebee back on the road to recovery Jazz walked behind the berth and started shoving.

Bee blinked in confusion as he twisted around to watch the silver mech start to roll him out of the medical bay on his berth. What was he doing? Bee wondered.

Risk didn't seem too bothered.

The robo-cat simply plopped down next to the tiny mech and watched as they were rolled away. Bumblebee however, knew that he was supposed to leave the med bay. He'd been listening to Ratchet preach it for about eight orns now and he really didn't want himself of Jazz to get in trouble. That and he was still confused as to why it felt like half the ship blew up.

Were the mean bots back?

That notion made him shiver and Risk lean into his side.

He didn't want the mean bots to come back.

"Jazzy?" He whispered carefully as Jazz wheeled them down a hallway.

"What's up Lil' Bee?"

"Mean bots back?" He mumbled.

Jazz snorted. "Nah Bee. Plans just went a little askew."

"Huh?" Bee tilted his head. _Askew? What's askew?_

"My brilliant genius just got screwed up by four fools that is all." Jazz chuckled sounding quite amused with himself. Bumblebee still didn't get what he found so funny.

"Oh . . . umm Jazzy?"

"Yep?"

"Where we going?"

"Don't really know." Jazz admitted as an angry yell that sounded scarily like Ratchet when he was about to go all Medic of Doom on somebot sounded from the way they came.

Jazz gulped. _Didn't take as long as I thought it would_.

The Hatchet had figured out Jazz was behind it quicker than anticipated, ran back to the med bay, and found the silver saboteur and the youngling gone.

Yeah, this wasn't the brightest of Jazz's plans.

Started out pretty good, but by the end of this orn he had a feeling he was going to be nursing an aching head.

**"JAZZ YOU FRAGGIN' FOOL!" **Ratchet's voice snarled over the comm waves again. **"WHERE IN PIT ARE YOU AND WHERE IS MY YOUNGLING!"**

_His youngling? _Jazz snorted. _That's so not surprising. _

**"JAZZ!" **Ironhide's unmistakable not-so-pleasant tone. **"I'm gonna turn you into a fraggin' plasma smear!"**

**"Jazz you are an idiot." **Prowl's voice echoed. Jazz rolled his optics only to speed up his steps and increase his laughter. Pretty soon he was riding Bumblebee's medical berth around the corners of the halls making Bee laugh with glee and even the robo-cat mew in an amusement. Jazz decided that whatever came next that _this_ was worth it. Just to hear that laugh.

That real laugh.

That laugh he hadn't heard since Bee had been drawing with Sunny. That was worth whatever Ironhide and Ratchet along with Prime did to him for his impulsive recklessness.

**"I don't know what your mechs are referring too."** Jazz said around his laughter.

**"You're busted mech." **Drift's pain filled voice drifted in over the static. **"Sorry buddy, but they got us."**

Jazz was about answer when one very sharp turn on a speeding medical berth came to an abrupt stop. With a yelp of surprise and no amount of grace Jazz went catapulting over Bumblebee's head and landed with a rather painful bang on the other side of the massive frame that had stopped him.

Letting out a groan he blinked his optics open to find Hammerdown twisted around looking down at him like he was glitchy as he stood with both hands out in front of him from where he stopped the berth.

"Jazz?" Hammer lifted an optic ridge.

"Oh," Jazz laughed nervously. "What's up, Hammer?"

The big blue mech narrowed his optics. "Do you have a license to drive a speeding berth with a stolen youngling on it?"

"Umm . . . yes?" He grinned up at the large mech trying to coax that younger version of Hammer he'd known out. That one that had loved pranks and getting into trouble. Because only that Hammerdown was going to help him. Rolling over he hopped to his feet with an almost too peppy smile.

Hammer just glared at him while Bumblebee giggled about Jazz flying over him.

"You by any chance weren't listening to the comm links as of lately were you?" Jazz tried.

Hammer went right on glaring until Ratchet's bellow could be heard down the hall.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU JAZZ I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN SPARKED!"

"Don't really think I have to be listening to the comm links, Jazz." The frontliner answered him.

Jazz let out a tired sigh. "Yeah well . . . damn. It started out as such a great plan."

"You and the twins were trying to get him some different surroundings weren't you?" Hammerdown asked.

Jazz perked up. "Yeah."

"Would have probably worked better if you hadn't used to much explosives."

"Probably." Suddenly Jazz grinned with mischief. "You know what Hammer?"

The big blue mech lifted an optic ridge again.

Springing forward Jazz plucked Bumblebee off the berth making sure to be mindful of all the attached wires, shooed Risk onto the floor, spun on his heels, and shoved the youngling into Hammer's arms.

"Hey w-what the pit!" Hammerdown stuttered as he backed up only to find the youngling was still somehow in his arms.

"Hold him. Don't let go. Don't take him back to the medical bay. And don't let him get board. He tends to get a little fussy when that happens. See ya, Hammerdown!" With that Jazz spun away, jumped up on the berth and used it as a sort of surf board—at least that was what it looked like he was doing—racing down the hall to cut off Ratchet and whoever else was chasing him. "HAVE FUN HAMMER!"

Hammerdown stood there dumbly blinking after the silver mech he'd known for most of his life in utter bemusement until he turned his dark optics down to the adorable little faceplate that was Bumblebee as the youngling blinked up at him.

Bee smiled shyly as Risk arched up on the floor hissing at Hammer.

"Well . . . ." He sighed. "This should be fun."

* * *

"And he just handed him off to you and _surfed _away?" Cyber blinked at Hammerdown from across his desk.

"That's right." Hammer nodded as he bounced the youngling lightly in his arms while his robo-cat paced the floor with a twitching tail.

"And you brought him _here_?" Cyber added.

"Yep."

"Not back to Ironhide were he belongs?"

"All the stuff he needs is still hooked up to him. It's not life threatening for him to be here or anything like that."

"It's threatening to _our_ lives." Cyber pointed out. "Besides you don't _like _him remember. You've been telling yourself that since we got on this ship."

"Well . . . ." Hammerdown shrugged and fell down to the chair across from the security expert's desk. "Even I get tired of being a hard aft all the time."

"Please," Cyber rolled his optics. "You only think you're a jerk. Inside you're a giant cyber-puppy who is losing all his reasons to be pissy."

"Yeah, sad ain't it?"

Cyber snorted. "Hammerdown you are pitiful."

"Not as pitiful as this faceplate!" Hammer offered up Bumblebee for Cyber to blink at while Bee once again smiled shyly and tilted his head. He still had no idea why he was in the visiting mech's office or why Hammer didn't bring him back to Ratchet.

They were all going to get in a whole lot of trouble for this. Even around the meds clouding his spark he could feel Ironhide looking for him. The anger and the disappointment flooding the air around him and he could feel it because about ten klicks ago some of the pain medicines started fading. Not that he was complaining. He could actually feel some of the sparks he loved.

Sort of.

Jazz had done something wrong. He guessed that was take him out of the medical bay, he wasn't sure. Though it seemed that some kind of conversation had stalled the search for him for a few klicks a little while ago and even with his hindered connections he could tell that whatever Jazz said got through the anger that was thrown at him. He proved some kind of point. Sort of.

What point that was Bee didn't know because he couldn't feel enough. That and Hammerdown actually talking to him was kind of distracting. He figured out a while ago that the big blue mech didn't hate him, but he didn't know whether or not the big frontliner actually liked him.

He'd had his doubts.

Now though as he was placed on Cyber's desk between the two of them and Risk was allowed to hop up and curl around him protectively he kind of thought that maybe, just maybe, both the mechs might be sort of found of him.

That alone made him grin.

"Hammer, you have to take him back to Prime." Cyber sighed. "The whole ship is looking for him."

"Jazz would have had to tell where he was by now."

"Yeah that's my—"

"HAMMER! HE BETTER SLAGGING BE WITH YOU!" The door to Cyber's office swung open to a fuming Ironhide. Both mechs faced the angry weapons specialist with apprehensive grins.

"Oh hey, Hide." Hammer greeted. "What brings you here?"

Ironhide snarled at his former student who suddenly sounded more like the old Hammer than the one he had come to accept as the one he was now going to have to live with since he figured the young mech he'd once called brother would never truly return to him. Yet that sounded far from the angry frontliner that had gone toe to toe with him in the shooting range not so long ago. Ironhide couldn't say that bothered him.

But the fact that Hammerdown had hidden his youngling from him.

_That _fraggin' bothered him!

Bee chirped in glee. "Hide!"

When his guardian's optics finally landed on him he rocked back and forth in utter happiness. The anger that radiated from the massive black frame slowly seeped out as the mech strolled over to pull Bumblebee carefully from the table mindful of the portable IV and monitor that sat beside him.

Bee could care less though.

He squeaked joyfully snuggling into Ironhide's chest holding onto the crevices in his armor while his guardian maneuvered the things still hooked up to him into his arms as well. Risk meowed loudly hopping from the table and began to pace around Ironhide's feet while the mighty mech turned to stare down at the two younger mechs.

"You're coming." Was all he said before turning to leave. Bee watched from around Hide's thick arm as the small white bot and the big blue one glanced at each other in apprehension than pushed themselves up and followed after them.

Turning his curios gaze to Ironhide Bee laid his head against his guardian's bulk and watched as the familiar faceplate as he stalked down the halls of _Artemis 1 _with Hammerdown and Cyber at his heels and Risk prancing around their feet.

They marched on along the long silver hallways until they reached the nerve center of _Artemis 1. _

The bridge.

Bumblebee's bright optics took in the room in one sweep even with the meds still floating through his systems. Optimus was at the command chair staring out the huge clear glass like haul at the front of the ship. The acid rain cloud filled sky whirled by as the powerful engines propelled them forward. Prowl was standing to his left his optics glued to a data pad while Jazz slumped irritably at his side. Energon leaked down his silver shoulder where it looked like somebot took a blow torch to the side. Springer stood off to one side of the bridge at a control panel looking like he was driving the ship while Hound and Bluestreak were at some kind of massive thing of flickering lights that looked like it controlled something.

What Bee didn't know, but he wasn't really all that worried about it.

Tracks and Inferno were on the other side of the bridge doing something of importance, but Bee was distracted by a loud clang followed by Sideswipe's whimper. He looked to the platform behind Optimus's chair to find Ratchet smacking the red twin in the head with a welding torch. Sunstreaker sat at his twin's side looking a little worse for wear himself though that was nothing compared to Drift and Blurr. The white and red mech along with the shorter blue one sat to Sideswipe's right looking like the whole battle ship crashed down on top of them. Bee had never seen either of the proud warriors look so downcast. Their armor was dented and scorched from head to toe. It was like they'd been stuffed in a toaster or something.

Bee guessed it must have been them that caused the big boom.

But why?

He didn't get the change to wonder for much longer though because Optimus's optics found him.

"Ironhide." The commander rose from his chair every optic around the room glancing up to find the little yellow mech safely in Hide's arms. Though some surprise filtered around the room when Hammerdown and Cyber stood awkwardly behind him.

"He's alright." Hide answered making Bee glance around.

"I already told you that." Jazz huffed from where he leaned against the railing around the commander's platform. "I wasn't going to let him get hurt. We just wanted to get him out of the damn medical bay."

"Mute it!" Ratchet flung a wrench across the room and bounced it off the silver mech's injured shoulder. Jazz winced and went to say more when Ratchet left the twin he was tormenting to stomp over to the saboteur. "I warned you, you little glitch!"

Jazz lowered his head.

"And you two!" Ratchet swung to face the pair behind Ironhide making Bumblebee flinch at the anger glowing in his optics while Hide stepped out of the way to lift an optic ridge at the pair. Cyber lowered his optics while Hammerdown crossed his arms and stuck out his chin in defense. "What slaggin' virus has CRASHED YOUR PROCESSORS!?"

"I told you I just handed him to Hammer they didn't have anything to do with it!" Jazz pleaded.

"MUTE IT!"

"Ratchet," Optimus laid his hand on the medic's shoulder earning him a glare before the Prime tilted his head toward Bee. Bee watched them with apprehension.

They were fighting again.

He hated it when they were fighting.

"Check on Bumblebee and then get him back to the medical bay where he belongs."

Ratchet bit his lip in anger before he let out a heavy huff stomping over to Ironhide. "As you wish, Optimus."

"Don't wanna go!" Bee crossed his arms irritably over his chest sticking his bottom lip out at the mechs around the room. As far as he was concerned if they got to yell at each other than he got to stay out of the medical bay. He was tired of all of this anyway.

He'd been on his best behavior. Been doing everything Ironhide and Ratchet told him to do. He took the meds, he took the needles, and he didn't fuss even if every fiber of his little youngling self wanted too. He had done everything they asked hoping that if he behaved that everything would go back to normal. That he would be allowed back in his own berth, to recharge in his guardian's room, and allowed to play again. Yet he was still stuck in the medical bay with no hope in sight. On top of that they were all being snipping with each other again.

Bumblebee just couldn't grasp why they did that. Why did they have to get mad at each other? He'd had enough mad for one life time. Even if the memoires that sometimes haunted him in his recharge really didn't make all that much sense one thing he could recall was the anger. The anger that always clung to every breath.

It was like it had been in the very air he had breathed.

Even his sparkling processor had known that.

The place his carrier had taken him from all that time ago hadn't been a happy one and he remembered how much relief had been in her spark when she had told him that they were free. Back then he hadn't really understood what she meant, but now he knew it meant that they could do as they pleased.

Why they couldn't do it before he didn't know, and why it had been such an angry place they'd come from he didn't know either. Those were the things he couldn't remember.

Now though all that he knew was that he was tired of being locked in a medical bay and he was even more tired of his family snipped at each other.

And he intended to tell them that.

"Bee," Ironhide scolded softly. "You have to go back to the medical bay."

"No!" Bee snapped, twisting his head back in forth and trying to crawl out of Hide's hold. The massive black bot kept rolling his hands keeping Bee from really getting anywhere, but the little yellow youngling was not so easily deterred. He kept right on struggling until half the wires attached to him were twisted and pulling and yanking painful drops of energon out of him until Ratchet's full on medic mode descended on him.

"WILL YOU QUIT THAT YOU LITTLE—GAH STOP THAT!" Lightly flicking Bee across the head Ratchet abruptly yanked him out of Hide's arms pulling him close to his own chest and started reattaching the pulled wires. Though Bee was having none of it. He kept on struggling pit bent that he was going to get what he wanted this time and when one of the wires attached to his arm yanked out with a rather painful snap and he squeaked in pain Risk did the rest for him.

The over protective silver and blue robo-cat sprang from the floor with a wicked hiss.

Claws first Risk dug into Ratchet's arm making the medic yelp under his breath letting go of Bee for a moment, but that was all the robo-cat needed. He sank his fangs delicately into Bumblebee's scruff bar twisting around so the IV and the transfer monitor that were still attached would sling around his back so they wouldn't yank out before he landed with an elegant prance and took off out of the bridge like every demon in Pit was after him.

"RISK!" Ironhide, Optimus, Ratchet, and the rest of the bridge crew yelled after the robo-cat and the giggling youngling that swung from his jaws.

* * *

Stalking through the dark corridors of _Nemesis_ Megatron chuckled darkly to himself.

Oh this was going swimmingly. Absolutely swimmingly.

Tossing the small data chip that still held the image of the youngling up and down he made his way toward the medical bay slash torture chamber of one very brightly painted lunatic. The _good _doctor had called for him this morning with news and now the mighty Lord of the Decepticons was almost prancing down the long dark halls with Soundwave silently almost floating at his side.

Together the pair reached the tall arched doorway where the Lord punched in the code and the obstacle swished open to revel the sheer terror that was the Decepticon medical bay.

Unlike the Autobot medical bay that was pristine, white, and kept the lair of the vanity obsessed medic looked like a chunk right out of the Pit. It was dark, it was murky, and it was stained from the floors to the walls in energon the medic never bothered to clean. Every berth he had for surgery was hard and cold with more things for dissecting than anything else stuffed all around and while Prime's medic specialized in fixing bots Megatron's was far better at taking them apart.

He enjoyed it much more as well.

He only fixed those that he bothered to actually care about. And those that his Lord ordered him too.

Like the one that had been in the bay for a few vorns now getting patched back together. Which was the very reason Megatron had been called down to the medical bay this evening.

The Decepticon Lord's harsh red optics lit in excitement when he found the bulky purple seeker sitting up on a berth nursing a cup of energon as the large blue and grey mech with a crimson faceplate and one burning orange optics stood at the patient's side watching him in his boss's absence. Though when his Lord and the quiet Soundwave entered the warrior assistant looked up only to bow slightly.

"Lord Megatron."

"Ah Breakdown, good to see you have returned. Was your mission a success?" Megatron almost hissed as he came to a stop in front of the berth Skywarp sat on with the medic assistant watching over him now that the two-tone mech was back from the little trip he'd been sent on.

"Yes, my Lord." Breakdown nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It is as you thought. They are readying to make their move."

"Good." Chuckling at his own brilliance the tyrant crossed his arms behind his back and took in the dark, foul smelling room. "Where is the dear doctor?"

"Here, Lord Megatron." Knockout swaggered out of a dark office at the end of the black bay twirling his energon prod between his nimble fingers as the tall, lanky, handsome, bright red mech joined the few at the entrance to his fun house.

"Good doctor." Megatron rolled the ironic words off his tongue. "I see you have _finally _patched up my dear seeker."

"He is at last fully functional again." Knockout confirmed as he did a quick scan of the purple mech who bowed to the best of ability to his Lord.

"Good you see you again, Skywarp." Megatron chuckled. "The information you provided me with has been very handy my good warrior."

"I live to serve, Lord Megatron." Skywarp rasped with the voice he hadn't used in vorns. He no longer sounded like his cheery self. That old voice and tone was lost to him when he came too for just a breem a few vorns ago to tell his Lord what he'd seen only to slip back into stasis. It had taken Knockout this long to repair him, but there was much the medic hadn't been able to fix. The damage the seeker had received had been fatal. The only reason he was still online was because despite all Knockout claimed he really was good a fixing things. His long ago mentor had made sure of that.

Even if Knockout hated it.

That was the reason he enjoyed taking things apart more than he liked putting them together.

"And you served me well. Now that the good doctor has put you together again you will serve me once more." Megatron told him.

"Anything you wish, my Lord." Skywarp nodded slowly his processor still a little sluggish with being in stasis lock for so long.

"Hey, hold up a klick!" Knockout huffed, spinning on his lord with flashing dark red optics. Breakdown took the moment to step forward and place a hand on his friend's shoulder trying to remind him of his place only to have the shorter red mech spin to him with a hiss waving his energy cackling prod at him. "Hands off the finish!"

Breakdown stepped back with a roll of his optics.

"Lord Megatron," Knockout spun back to his leader. "I just spent about seven vorns putting that mass of scrap metal back together and I'll not have you sending him back out there to get trashed by those fraggers again! I don't like piecing stuff back together from burnt shrapnel!"

"You will do as I command!" Megatron stomped forward to tower of the shorter medic until he had the hotheaded mech backed up to a corner and bowing his head submissively. "Do not forget Knockout what hole you were drug out off all those vorns ago and who it was that drug you out! Gave you a purpose! A chance to get even! I am the Lord of this place and you are my _loyal_ doctor! You will fix whatever I tell you to fix and you will torture whatever I tell you to torture! And should I tell you to put Skywarp back together a thousand more times you will do it! Do you understand me!?"

Cowering slightly beneath his commander Knockout bit his tongue to keep the smart retort at bay when he caught the warning glare Breakdown shot him. If their Lord trashed him there was only Soundwave to put him back together and as much as the quiet mech did actually kind of like the smart mouthed aft he wouldn't be so willing to back any retort against his master and would leave Knockout to leak for a while like some kicked cyber-puppy to think about what he'd done.

Reining in the anger in his spark at his hard work going to waste Knockout nodded slowly. "Of course my Lord. How foolish of me to think otherwise."

"Correct, Knockout." Megatron seethed. "Now,"

The massive silver mech turned back with a chuckle to Soundwave giving him a sharp nod.

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave bowed deeply before latching his long silver claws into Skywarp's arm hauling the mech up despite his quiet yelp and lead him out of the medical bay without another word.

The bay was quiet for a good few klicks after that as the commander turned back to one of the first to join his ranks. The brightly painted mech still stood with his head bowed trying to keep his mouth from getting him scrapped again until his leader's overly chipper chuckle lifted the medic's dark optics along with the glowing orange one that belonged to the warrior who stood quietly across the room.

"_Dear _good doctor," Megatron was almost giggling. That alone had Knockout on edge. It was never good when he got like that. That scarier part of him came out. That thing deep inside the tyrant's spark that not even the medic had yet to figure out was rearing its ugly head. That never ended in anything less than a very energon soaked medical bay for the medic. With more injuries than he could ever hope to possibly fix. "I have something you and your good assistant must help me do."

Breakdown and Knockout both looked up in surprise.

"My lord?" Breakdown questioned.

"Loyal soldiers of mine, we're going on a field trip!" Laughing like some deranged lunatic Megatron strolled back out of the medical bay tossing the data chip he hadn't put down in a vorn as he almost bubbled with joy.

Everything was going just as he planned, and soon he would hold the key to breaking his _dear _littler brother into more pieces than even that medic of his could put back together.

He would destroy Prime from the inside out and he would finally accomplish what he had sworn to _his _master he would do what felt like a life time ago.

He would win and rule a Prime-less Cybertron.

Knockout and Breakdown stood quietly staring after the back of their master long after he'd gone. They were silent for some time the two friends just staring before Breakdown huffed crossing his arms over his chest.

"I swear there is something wrong with him."

Knockout gave a cold laugh. "Gee what was your first clue, Breakdown?"

"Oh I don't know maybe the whole split personality thing." Breakdown rolled his optics. "I swear he has one! And I'm not the only one that things so!"

"He is your Lord, Breakdown." Knockout said more to himself than anything else. "You need to remember that."

"I'm well aware." The warrior mumbled as he thought over what got him and his best friend on _this _side of the war so long ago. "I'm also well aware where that has gotten us."

"Yes," Knockout sighed as he turned to make his way back into his dark office. "It's gotten us nowhere."

Nowhere at all. Since he stepped foot on this side of the line he'd lost almost everything he thought he once valued, and there where orns now where he wondered . . . how much more would he have to lose to finally find the revenge they were chasing after.

A revenge he was no longer sure either of them wanted.

* * *

**Dang I really, _really _hope I didn't butcher those two to badly. **

**That last part took forever! Knockout and Breakdown are harder then I thought they'd be. Well I love them and I just couldn't not put them in here. So yeah, there you go. The crazy doc and his loyal assistant have joined the mix.**

**Anyway, Jazz's plans don't always work out so well for all parties involved . . . some times he's just a idiot. Though it probably would have gone better if Drift and Blurr hadn't screwed up the explosives.**

**Also, Risk is back! Yaaaaaay! Who missed him? I missed him.**

**Then there's Mega-idiot . . . . His plan is coming to light guys and pretty soon that happy go luck world over on the Autobot ship is . . . oh wait I can't tell you that it'll ruin the surprise. Hee-hee ignore me. **

**So once again, please review and tell me what you think. I really liked this chapter I laughed so much while I wrote it. I hope you guys enjoyed it too.**

***Hint for the next chapter!***

**Ironhide and Bee have an adorable moment, the crews finally get back together, and you guys meet Quickfire!**

**Chat with ya later**

**-Jay**


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